燕雀安知鸿鹄之志

yànquèānzhīhónghúzhīzhì

how could a sparrow understand the ambitions of a swan? —the lofty aims of the great are beyond the understanding of the lowly

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yan4 que4 an1 zhi1 hong2 hu2 zhi1 zhi4

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?

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燕雀安知鸿鹄之志

yàn què ān zhī hóng hú zhī zhì

How can a common fellow read the mind of a great man?; What can a swallow know of the aims of a swan goose?

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燕雀安知鴻鵠之志|燕雀安知鸿鹄之志 [yàn què ān zhī hóng hú 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?