The Story of the Stone, another name for A Dream of Red Mansions 紅樓夢|红楼梦[Hong2 lou2 Meng4]
独占鳌头
dú zhàn áo tóu
to come first in triennial palace examinations (idiom, refers to the carved stone turtle head in front of the imperial palace, next to which the most successful candidate in the imperial examinations was entitled to stand) / to be the champion / to be the very best in any field
碑刻
bēi kè
inscription on stone tablet
石沉大海
shí chén dà hǎi
lit. to throw a stone and see it sink without trace in the sea (idiom) / fig. to elicit no response
一箭双雕
yī jiàn shuāng diāo
lit. one arrow, two golden eagles (idiom) / to kill two birds with one stone
ancient classification system for musical instruments, based on the material of which the instrument is made (metal 金, stone 石, clay 土, leather 革, silk 絲|丝, wood 木, gourd 匏, bamboo 竹) / the eight kinds of sound produced by instruments in these categories / music
天珠
tiān zhū
dzi bead, a type of stone bead highly prized in Tibet for many centuries, reputed to hold supernatural power
殚精竭虑
dān jīng jié lu:4
to exhaust one's thoughts and ingenuity (idiom) / to think sth through thoroughly / to rack one's brains / to leave no stone unturned
stele / vertical stone tablet for carved inscriptions
垫脚石
diàn jiǎo shí
stepping stone / fig. person used to advance one's career
赵州桥
Zhào zhōu Qiáo
Zhaozhou Bridge over Xiao River 洨河[Xiao2 He2] in Zhao county 趙縣|赵县[Zhao4 Xian4], Shijiazhuang, Hebei, dating back to the Sui dynasty 隋代[Sui2 dai4] (581-617) and the world's oldest extant stone arch bridge
拓印
tà yìn
stone rubbing (to copy an inscription)
水滴石穿
shuǐ dī shí chuān
dripping water penetrates the stone (idiom) / constant perseverance yields success / You can achieve your aim if you try hard without giving up. / Persistent effort overcomes any difficulty.
dripping water penetrates the stone (idiom) / constant perseverance yields success / You can achieve your aim if you try hard without giving up. / Persistent effort overcomes any difficulty.
lit. a brick as a door knocker (idiom) / fig. a temporary expedient / to use sb as a stepping stone to fortune
他山之石可以攻玉
tā shān zhī shí kě yǐ gōng yù
lit. the other mountain's stone can polish jade (idiom) / to improve oneself by accepting criticism from outside / to borrow talent from abroad to develop the nation effectively
以卵击石
yǐ luǎn jī shí
lit. to strike a stone with egg (idiom) / to attempt the impossible / to invite disaster by overreaching oneself
倾箱倒箧
qīng xiāng dǎo qiè
to exhaust all one has / to leave no stone unturned / to try one's best
木人石心
mù rén shí xīn
lit. body made of wood, heart made of stone (idiom) / fig. heartless
殚精极虑
dān jīng jí lu:4
to exhaust one's thoughts and ingenuity (idiom) / to think sth through thoroughly / to rack one's brains / to leave no stone unturned
磨穿铁砚
mó chuān tiě yàn
to grind one's way through an ink stone / to persevere in a difficult task (idiom) / to study diligently (idiom)
shí