曾经沧海难为水,除却巫山不是云
céng jīng cāng hǎi nán wéi shuǐ , chú què wū shān bù shì yún
there are no rivers to one who has crossed the ocean, and no clouds to one who has passed Mount Wu (idiom)
one who has seen the world doesn't stop at small things
曾
céng
once
经
jīng
classics
沧
cāng
(bound form) (of water, esp. the ocean) deep blue-green
海
hǎi
ocean
难
nán
difficult (to...)
为
wéi
variant of 為|为[wei2]
水
shuǐ
water
,
,
除
chú
to get rid of
却
què
but
巫
wū
also pr. [Wu2]
山
shān
mountain; hill (CL:座[zuo4])
不
bù
no; not so
是
shì
to be (followed by substantives only)
云
yún
abbr. for Yunnan Province 雲南省|云南省[Yun2 nan2 Sheng3]