能屈能伸

néngqūnéngshēn

be able to stoop or to stand; submit or assert oneself as the occasion requires; be adaptable to circumstances

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neng2 qu1 neng2 shen1

can bow and submit, or can stand tall (idiom, from Book of Changes); ready to give and take, flexible

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能屈能伸

néng qū néng shēn

can bend or unbend -- can take temporary setbacks; able to bow and rise at will; able to stoop or stand erect; adaptable to circumstances; can either stoop or stand; knowing when to yield and when not; submit or assert oneself as the occasion requires; taking the rough with the smooth:

大丈夫能屈能伸。 A man among men is he who knows when to eat humble pie and when to hold his head high.

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能屈能伸|能屈能伸 [néng qū néng shēn] ► can bow and submit, or can stand tall (idiom, from Book of Changes); ready to give and take ► flexible