Time and Circumstances

他这样开玩笑，气得我哭也不是，笑也不是。

Tā zhèyàng kāi wánxiào, qì de wǒ kū yě bú shì, xiào yě bú shì.

He joked like that, making me so angry that neither crying nor laughing felt right.

一看来了这么多人，他紧张得坐也不是，站也不是。

Yí kàn lái le zhème duō rén, tā jǐnzhāng de zuò yě bú shì, zhàn yě bú shì.

Seeing so many people arrive, he was so nervous that he didn't know whether to sit or stand.

走也不是，留也不是，真不知道怎么办好。

Zǒu yě bú shì, liú yě bú shì, zhēn bù zhīdào zěnme bàn hǎo.

Leaving doesn't work, staying doesn't work — I really don't know what to do.

他腰疼起来的时候站也站不得，坐也坐不得。

Tā yāo téng qǐlái de shíhou zhàn yě zhàn bùdé, zuò yě zuò bùdé.

When his back pain flares up, he can neither stand nor sit.

孩子大了，骂也骂不得，打也打不得。

Háizi dà le, mà yě mà bùdé, dǎ yě dǎ bùdé.

The child is grown up — you can neither scold nor hit them.

这件事愁得他吃也吃不得，睡也睡不得。

Zhè jiàn shì chóu de tā chī yě chī bùdé, shuì yě shuì bùdé.

This matter worried him so much he could neither eat nor sleep.

好是它，坏也是它，你没有别的选择。

Hǎo shì tā, huài yě shì tā, nǐ méiyǒu bié de xuǎnzé.

Good or bad, it is what it is — you have no other choice.

成功是它，失败也是它，这个选择我绝对不后悔。

Chénggōng shì tā, shībài yě shì tā, zhège xuǎnzé wǒ juéduì bú hòuhuǐ.

Whether I succeed or fail, I will absolutely not regret this choice.

等一个小时是它，等两个小时也是它，只能坐这一班车回家了。

Děng yí gè xiǎoshí shì tā, děng liǎng gè xiǎoshí yě shì tā, zhǐ néng zuò zhè yì bān chē huí jiā le.

Whether we wait one hour or two, this is the only bus home.

明天我去超市逛逛，反正闲着也是闲着。

Míngtiān wǒ qù chāoshì guàngguang, fǎnzhèng xián zhe yě shì xián zhe.

I will go browse the supermarket tomorrow — I am just sitting around idle anyway.

那些衣服她不喜欢了，放着也是放着，不如送人吧。

Nàxiē yīfu tā bù xǐhuan le, fàng zhe yě shì fàng zhe, bùrú sòng rén ba.

She does not like those clothes anymore — they are just sitting there, might as well give them away.

反正等着也是等着，我们不如休息休息吧。

Fǎnzhèng děng zhe yě shì děng zhe, wǒmen bùrú xiūxi xiūxi ba.

Since we are just waiting around anyway, we might as well take a rest.

想归想，做归做，结果完全不一样。

Xiǎng guī xiǎng, zuò guī zuò, jiéguǒ wánquán bù yíyàng.

Thinking is one thing, doing is another — the results are completely different.

吵归吵，闹归闹，大家还是好朋友。

Chǎo guī chǎo, nào guī nào, dàjiā háishi hǎo péngyou.

Arguing is arguing and fighting is fighting, but we are still good friends.

朋友归朋友，生意归生意，不能免费。

Péngyou guī péngyou, shēngyì guī shēngyì, bù néng miǎnfèi.

Friendship is friendship and business is business — I cannot do it for free.

不管怎样说，你这么做就是不对的。

Bùguǎn zěnyàng shuō, nǐ zhème zuò jiùshì bú duì de.

No matter what, what you did was simply wrong.

不管怎样说，这事总算办成了。

Bùguǎn zěnyàng shuō, zhè shì zǒngsuàn bàn chéng le.

Regardless, the matter was finally accomplished.

不管怎样说，他毕竟是你的父亲。

Bùguǎn zěnyàng shuō, tā bìjìng shì nǐ de fùqīn.

No matter what, he is still your father after all.