Definition
灵丹妙药 is a four-character idiom literally meaning 'miraculous pill and wonderful medicine', but it is used figuratively to describe a perfect solution or remedy for a difficult problem — a 'panacea'. The term often appears in negated or skeptical contexts (没有灵丹妙药 'there is no magic bullet'), cautioning against expecting a simple fix for complex issues.
f.e.
panaceamiraculous cure-allmagic solution
Examples
- 灵丹妙药。Shì shàng méi yǒu jiějué suǒyǒu wèntí de líng dān miào yào.There is no panacea in the world that solves all problems.
- 灵丹妙药，。Chénggōng méi yǒu líng dān miào yào, zhǐyǒu bùduàn nǔlì.There is no magic formula for success — only continuous hard work.
- 灵丹妙药。Bié zhǐwàng yǒu shénme líng dān miào yào néng mǎshàng gǎibiàn xiànzhuàng.Don't expect any miraculous cure to change the situation overnight.
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