stick slavishly to convention
To draw a circle according to a plan is a Chinese idiom. Pinyin is n ǐ Gu ī Hu à Yu á n, which means to draw a circle according to a compass. It's like following the old rules and not knowing how to adapt.
The idiom is used as predicate and attributive; it refers to sticking to the rules examples he often draws a circle without flexibility.
stick slavishly to convention
Troops and horses are not moving, food and grass go first - bīng mǎ bù dòng,liáng cǎo xiān xíng
discard the old ways of life in favour of the new - gé jiù dǐng xīn
sharp eyes and agile hands or nimble fingers - yǎn jí shǒu kuài