不要在一棵树上吊死

bù yào zài yī kē shù shàng diào sǐ

don't insist on only taking one road to Rome (idiom)

there's more than one way to skin a cat

不

bù

no; not so

要

yào

to want; to need; to ask for

在

zài

to exist; to be alive

一

yī

one

棵

kē

classifier for trees, cabbages, plants etc

树

shù

tree

上

shàng

(bound form) up; upper; above; previous

吊

diào

a string of 100 cash (arch.)

死

sǐ

to die