Chinese

Verb

變卦

1. (slang) to go back on one's word
   • 2009: Li Ying (李穎) (ed.), 「虐囚門」：奧巴馬為何變卦

     其次，奧巴馬「變卦」是因為擔心虐囚照片公佈後會進一步激化美國國內兩黨矛盾，從而使他推行「新政」受到干擾。 [MSC, trad.]

     其次，奥巴马“变卦”是因为担心虐囚照片公布后会进一步激化美国国内两党矛盾，从而使他推行“新政”受到干扰。 [MSC, simp.]

     Qícì, àobāmǎ "biànguà" shì yīnwèi dānxīn nüè qiú zhàopiàn gōngbù hòu huì jìnyībù jīhuà měiguó guónèi liǎng dǎng máodùn, cóng'ér shǐ tā tuīxíng "xīnzhèng" shòudào gānrǎo. [Pinyin]

     Secondly, the reason Obama went back on his word was the fear that publishing photographs of prisoner abuse in the United States would intensify contradictions between the two US parties, thus forcing him to modify the implementation of the "New Deal".

2. (slang) (of a situation) to change drastically

References

• Cao, Shan (ed.) (2004) Speaking Chinese: 500 Daily Expressions (实用汉语口语五百局) (in English/Chinese), 5th edition, Beijing: New World Press (新世界出版社), ISBN 7-80005-385-7