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
tramp over mountains and through ravines - fān shān yuè lǐng
acclaim as the acme or perfection - tàn guān zhǐ yǐ
incomplete parts of ancient scripts - cán biān liè jiǎn
die for the sake of the country - yǐ shēng bào guó