Philosophical Idioms

Cutting Through the Nonsense

“艾玛，这不就是咱们屯子里的那个……吗？”

• "Ain't that just that ... from our neck o' the woods?"

"... is by definition ..."

• Literal: “……从定义上讲/从本质上说是……
• Idiomatic: “……说白了就是……”

"That's a feature, not a bug."

• Literal: “那是功能，不是缺陷。”
• Idiomatic: “这是设计好的，不是整劈叉了。”

Your Situation Shapes Your Views

“屁股决定脑袋。”

• Literal: "Your ass determines your head."
• Idiomatic: "Where you stand depends on where you sit." (A classic U.S. political saying with the same idea.)

Pragmatism and Results-Driven Thinking

“实践是检验真理的唯一标准。”

• Literal: "Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth."
• Idiomatic: "Actions are the ultimate test of truth."

“不管黑猫白猫，能捉到老鼠就是好猫。”

• Literal: "No matter whether it's a black cat or a white cat, as long as it catches mice, it's a good cat."
• Idiomatic: "If it gets the job done, it's good enough."

Knowing Who You Are & Doing Your Own Thing

“认清自己几斤几两。” “撒泡尿照照自己。”

• Literal: "Recognize how many pounds and ounces you weigh." / "Take a piss and look at yourself in it."
• Idiomatic: "Who do you think you are?"

“你们没有资格说，你们从实力地位出发同……谈话。”

• "You do not have the qualification to say that you want to speak to ... from a position of strength."

“我蛮夷也，不与中国之号谥。”

• Literal: "I'm a barbarian; I do not accept the designations of the Central Kingdom."
• Idiomatic: "I'm a barbarian. I don't play by your rules."

“入关之后自有大儒为我辩经。”

• Literal: "After entering the pass, there will naturally be great scholars to argue scriptures on my behalf."
• Idiomatic: "Let the philosophers debate after I've made my move."