逆水行舟，不进则退

like rowing a boat upstream, if you stop moving forward you fall back (idiom)

contrary / opposite / backwards / to go against / to oppose / to betray / to rebel

against the current / upstream

surname Shui

water / river / liquid / beverage / additional charges or income / (of clothes) classifier for number of washes

row / line / commercial firm / line of business / profession / to rank (first, second etc) among one's siblings (by age) / (in data tables) row / (Tw) column

to walk / to go / to travel / a visit / temporary / makeshift / current / in circulation / to do / to perform / capable / competent / effective / all right / OK! / will do / behavior / conduct / Taiwan pr. [xing4] for the behavior-conduct sense

lit. navigating a boat against the current (idiom) / fig. in a tough environment (one needs to work hard)

boat

no; not so / (bound form) not; un-

to go forward / to advance / to go in / to enter / to put in / to submit / to take in / to admit / (math.) base of a number system / classifier for sections in a building or residential compound

(conjunction used to express contrast with a previous clause) but / then / standard / norm / principle / to imitate / to follow / classifier for written items

(literary) (conjunction used to express contrast with a previous clause) but; then / (bound form) standard; norm / (bound form) principle / (literary) to imitate; to follow / classifier for written items

to retreat / to decline / to move back / to withdraw

to retreat; to withdraw / to reject; to return (sth) / to decline

study is like rowing upstream – if you don't keep pushing forward, you fall behind