submit oneself to sb . 's whims and fancies

for months and years on end - lěi yuè jīng nián

Let the night be the day - bǐ yè zuò zhòu

at the mercy of nature - xiū duǎn suí huà

Deep and slow - yuān juān huò hù

a scene of desolation after a plague when the population is decimated - shí shì jiǔ kuì

the few are no match for the many - sì bù niù liù

rich merchants - háo shāng jù jiǎ

in a split second - jiān bù róng lì

amiable and easy of approach - píng yì jìn mín

out of one 's wits - sh zhng sh zhì