Cutting straight wood first
Zhimu Xianlu, an idiom, pronounced zh í m ù Xi ā NF á, means that talented people will be persecuted. From Zhuangzi Shanmu.
Zhimu Xianfa Zhi í m ù Xi ā NF á. The trees that stand upright and become useful are the first to be cut down. It is a metaphor for the persecution of talented people. Also known as "straight wood must be cut.". [source] Chuang Tzu Shan Mu: "it is so that the ranks are not to be denounced, while outsiders are not to be harmed, so as to avoid suffering. The first thing to do is to cut straight wood, the first thing to do is to kill Ganjing. " [example] if you look down on your majesty to think about righteousness, all evils will be observed. "Chuzhou Xie Shang Biao" by Wang Yucheng in Song Dynasty
Cutting straight wood first
Benefit the country and the people - yì guó lì mín
Sea, water and mulberry fields - hǎi shuǐ sāng tián