投鼠忌器
Traditional form:
投鼠忌器
Pinyin (reading):
tóushǔjìqì
Definitions:
- lit. to refrain from shooting at the rat for fear of breaking the vases (idiom)
- to not act against an evil so as to prevent harm to innocents
Characters:
- 投 - to pitch, to throw; to bid, to invest
- 鼠 - rat, mouse
- 忌 - jealous, envious; to fear; to shun
- 器 - device, instrument, tool; receptacle, vessel
Traditional characters: