这个规定啊 毕竟是死的
“regulations are rigid,”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
但是呢
“However,”
这个 规定啊 毕竟是 死的
“regulations are rigid,”
人是活的
“yet people are adaptable.”
“Don't let the paperwork tie our hands; we can find a workaround.”
In Chinese culture, the idiom 'rules are dead, but people are alive' reflects the common pragmatic view that regulations should adapt flexibly to practical human circumstances.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
rigid and inflexible after all
Commonly paired with 'people are adaptable' (人是活的) to argue for bending strict rules.
Pauses the statement to draw listener focus and soften the assertiveness of challenging a rule.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“The terms are really strict.”
“Article 9 of Chapter 2 stipulates... I don't understand.”
“Rules are rigid, but people are flexible.”
“Rules are not fixed here.”
“Screw that rule!”
“but rules are rules.”