pull up the roots and stop the source—cast away one’s origin ❍ 你不应该蠢到～的地步。You shouldn’t be so stupid as to pull up the roots and stop the source of water.
拔本塞源bá běn sè yuán
拔掉树木的根，堵塞水的源头。比喻丢弃和毁灭根本，也指从根本上着手解决问题。abandon source,extirpate the root of an evil, pull up the roots and stop the source, cast away one’s origin