你保得了他一时 你保不了他一世
“You can protect him for now, but you can't protect him forever.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
三叔
“Uncle San.”
你保 得了 他一时 你保 不了 他一世
“You can protect him for now, but you can't protect him forever.”
“Don't forget, he offended Ma Derong.”
“Your protection is only a temporary band-aid; staying involved will eventually ruin you both.”
The proverb 'protecting for a moment versus protecting for a lifetime' reflects practical Chinese pragmatic wisdom advising against reckless loyalty that creates unsustainable long-term risks.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
for a short period / temporarily
Frequently contrasted with '一世' (a lifetime) to highlight short-term versus permanent outcomes.
a lifetime / forever
Used in traditional pairing with '一时' to emphasize perpetual responsibility or consequence.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“No one can protect him forever. He's only 10 years old.”
“can you vouch for him forever?”
“Even if you can protect me for a while,”