舉手投足

From a letter by Han Yu, written in the hope of acquiring the recipient's recommendation before attending the imperial examination:

如有力者哀其窮而運轉之，蓋一舉手一投足之勞也。然是物也，負其異於眾也，且曰：爛死於沙泥，吾寧樂之；若俛首帖耳，搖尾而乞憐者，非我之志也。是以有力者遇之，熟視之若無睹也。其死其生，固不可知也。今又有有力者當其前矣，聊試仰首一鳴號焉，庸詎知有力者不哀其窮，而忘一舉手一投足之勞而轉之清波乎？ [Literary Chinese, trad.]

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如有力者哀其穷而运转之，盖一举手一投足之劳也。然是物也，负其异于众也，且曰：烂死于沙泥，吾宁乐之；若俯首帖耳，摇尾而乞怜者，非我之志也。是以有力者遇之，熟视之若无睹也。其死其生，固不可知也。今又有有力者当其前矣，聊试仰首一鸣号焉，庸讵知有力者不哀其穷，而忘一举手一投足之劳而转之清波乎？ [Literary Chinese, simp.]

From: 793, 韓愈,《應科目時與人書》

Rú yǒulì zhě āi qí qióng ér yùnzhuǎn zhī, gài yī jǔshǒu yī tóuzú zhī láo yě. Rán shì wù yě, fù qí yìyú zhòng yě, qiě yuē: làn sǐ yú shā ní, wú nìng lè zhī; ruò fǔshǒutiē'ěr, yáo wěi ér qǐlián zhě, fēi wǒ zhī zhì yě. Shìyǐ yǒulì zhě yù zhī, shúshì zhī ruò wú dǔ yě. Qí sǐ qí shēng, gù bùkězhī yě. Jīn yòu yǒu yǒulì zhě dāng qí qián yǐ, liáo shì yǎng shǒu yī míngháo yān, yōngjù zhī yǒulì zhě bù āi qí qióng, ér wàng yī jǔshǒu yī tóuzú zhī láo ér zhuǎn zhī qīngbō hū? [Pinyin]

If a great personality, taking pity on its predicament, offers to help it into the water, what he needs to do is nothing but raise his hand or stretch his foot. But the creature, proud of being different from other creatures, says, "I prefer to die and decay in the sand and mud: which is a pleasure to me, rather than bow my head, droop my ears, wag my tail, and beg for pity, which does not fit me." Consequently, later, when great personalities pass by it, though knowing it well, they turn a blind eye to it. Naturally, they do not know whether it will die or live on. Now, another great personality is passing before it. Upon seeing him, the creature tries raising its head and uttering a howl. [This time,] will the great personality, it wonders, not take pity on it, forgetting his ability to help it into clear waters simply by raising his hand or stretching his foot?

舉手投足

1. demeanour; the way one moves; the manner in which one carries oneself