lit. can the sparrow and swallow know the will of the great swan? (idiom) / fig. how can we small fry predict the ambitions of the great?
怎么得了
zěn me dé liǎo
how can this be? / what's to be done? / what an awful mess!
不入虎穴焉得虎子
bù rù hǔ xué yān dé hǔ zǐ
how can you catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger's lair / nothing venture / nothing to gain or have
人非生而知之者，熟能无惑
rén fēi shēng ér zhī zhī zhě , shú néng wú huò
Knowledge is not innate to man, how can we overcome doubt? / We are not born with knowledge, how does one achieve maturity? (i.e. without guidance from a teacher - Tang dynasty essayist Han Yu 韓愈|韩愈)
没有规矩，何以成方圆
méi yǒu guī jǔ , hé yǐ chéng fāng yuán
without rules, how can anything be done (idiom) / one must follow some rules
燕雀焉知鸿鹄之志
yàn què yān zhī hóng gǔ zhī zhì
lit. can the sparrow and swallow know the will of the great swan? (idiom) / fig. how can we small fry predict the ambitions of the great?
情何以堪
qíng hé yǐ kān
how can this be endured! (idiom)
何以见得
hé yǐ jiàn dé
how can one be sure?
可堪
kě kān
how can one endure? / to be able to endure
人非生而知之者，孰能无惑
rén fēi shēng ér zhī zhī zhě , shú néng wú huò
Knowledge is not innate to man, how can we overcome doubt? / We are not born with knowledge, how does one achieve maturity? (i.e. without guidance from a teacher - Tang dynasty essayist Han Yu 韓愈|韩愈[Han2 Yu4])
没有规矩，何以成方圆
méi yǒu guī ju , hé yǐ chéng fāng yuán
without rules, how can anything be done (idiom) / one must follow some rules
怎一个愁字了得
zěn yī gè chóu zì liǎo dé
(last line of the poem 聲聲慢|声声慢[Sheng1 sheng1 Man4] by Song poet Li Qingzhao 李清照[Li3 Qing1 zhao4]) / how can it be expressed in one word, "sorrow"? / how can words express such sadness?
jù