小しょうの虫むしを殺ころして大だいの虫むしを生いかす

expression, godan verb (-su)

sacrifice a small thing to save a great one; lose a leg to save one's life

Proverb used when one must give up something minor to preserve something major. The literal image is of killing a small bug to keep a large bug alive.

• 小しょうの虫むしを殺ころして大だいの虫むしを生いかすというように、多た少しょうの犠ぎ牲せいは仕し方かたない。

  As the saying goes, you have to sacrifice a small bug to save a large one; some sacrifice is unavoidable.

• この決けつ断だんは小しょうの虫むしを殺ころして大だいの虫むしを生いかす考かんがえ方かたに基もとづいている。

  This decision is based on the idea of sacrificing a small thing to save a great one.