看风使舵 trim one's sails to the wind
Explanation
比喻看形势或看别人的脸色行事，缺乏主见。
It means to observe the situation and act accordingly, which is often associated with a lack of initiative.
Origin Story
从前，有一个渔民，他靠打鱼为生。有一天，他出海打鱼，风平浪静，渔民驾着小船，悠闲地撒网捕鱼。可是，突然间，狂风骤雨袭来，风浪翻滚，小船在海面上颠簸得厉害，随时都有倾覆的危险。渔民经验丰富，他迅速地根据风向调整船帆，并熟练地操纵船舵，使小船在惊涛骇浪中依然能够保持平衡，安全地驶回港口。事后，人们称赞他驾船技术高超，能够看风使舵，在危急时刻化险为夷。
Once upon a time, there was a fisherman who made his living by fishing. One day, he went out to sea to fish. The weather was calm, and the fisherman drove his small boat, leisurely casting his nets to catch fish. However, suddenly, a violent storm came, with wind and waves. The small boat tossed and turned violently on the sea, and there was a danger of capsizing at any time. The experienced fisherman quickly adjusted the sails according to the wind direction and skillfully operated the rudder, so that the small boat could still maintain its balance in the turbulent waves and safely return to the port. Afterwards, people praised his superb boat driving skills and his ability to trim his sails to the wind and turn danger into safety in times of crisis.
Usage
常用作谓语、定语、宾语；形容人缺乏主见，看形势行事。
Often used as a predicate, attribute, and object; describes someone who is indecisive and adapts to circumstances.
Examples
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他总是看风使舵，缺乏自己的主见。
ta zongshi kan feng shi duo, que fa zi ji de zhu jian.
He always trims his sails to the wind and lacks his own opinions.
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在政治斗争中，看风使舵的人往往能生存下来。
zai zhengzhi douzheng zhong, kan feng shi duo de ren wang wang neng shengcun xia lai.
In political struggles, those who trim their sails to the wind often survive.
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职场中，看风使舵有时也是一种生存策略。
zhi chang zhong, kan feng shi duo you shi ye shi yi zhong shengcun celue
In the workplace, trimming sails to the wind is sometimes a survival strategy