進退維谷

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See also: 进退维谷

Chinese

[edit]
to advance and retreat; sense of propriety
to preserve; to maintain; to hold together
to preserve; to maintain; to hold together; dimension
 
valley
trad. (進退維谷) 進退
simp. (进退维谷) 进退

Etymology

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From the Classic of Poetry, poem 257 (《詩經·大雅·桑柔》):

甡甡鹿
朋友
:「進退維谷」。
[Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
甡甡鹿
朋友
:「进退维谷」。
[Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11th – 7th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
Zhān bǐ zhōng lín, shēnshēn qí lù.
Péngyǒu yǐ zèn, bù xū yǐ gǔ.
Rén yì yǒu yán: “Jìntuì wéi gǔ”.
[Pinyin]
Look into the middle of that forest, At the herds of deer roaming together.
[But here] friends are insincere, And do not help one another in what is good.
People have the saying, "To go forwards or backwards is alike impracticable."

Pronunciation

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This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!
Particularly: “Hokkien”
This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!
Particularly: “Teochew”

Idiom

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進退維谷

  1. between a rock and a hard place

Synonyms

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