(of a boat) to sail against the flow; (figuratively) to work hard to make progress in a difficult environment. Often used with [[不进则退|不進則退|bu4 jin4 ze2 tui4]] to imply that one must keep moving forward or they will fall behind

to sail a boat by using the current; to take advantage of outside help or someone else's influence to reach one's goals

A proverb meaning you must either make progress or be washed backward; used to emphasize that learning is difficult and requires constant effort and perseverance.

Learning is like rowing a boat against the current; if you do not move forward, you will fall back.

like rowing a boat upstream, if you do not move forward you will fall back; a proverb used to encourage constant effort in difficult situations to avoid backsliding