人在江湖,身不由己

rén zài jiāng hú , shēn bù yóu jǐ

(proverb) you can't always do as you like; one has to compromise in this world

rén

person; people

zài

to exist; to be alive

jiāng

(bound form) Yangtze River

lake

,

shēn

body

no; not so

yóu

to follow

self