How to say ” He is a person with an iron fist in a velvet glove” in Chinese: 他是个外圆内方的人。Ta1 shi4 ge5 wai4 yuan2 nei4 fang1 de5 ren2. Ta1 (他 pronoun, he) shi4 (是verb, is) ge5 (个 measure word for person) wai4 (外 noun, outside) yuan2 (圆 adjective, round) nei4 (内 noun, inside) fang1 (方 adjective, square) de5 (的 particle to connect attribute and the noun it modifies) ren2 (人 noun, person).
外圆内方 (outside is round, inside is square) originally means the person’s outward appearance is tender，suave, and gentle; he or she acts like a circle （yuan2 xing2, 圆形） without any angles （jiao3, 角）, very smooth （ping2, hua2, 平滑）, but, inwardly, he is strong, solid , with unbending will （yi4 zhi4, 意志）and possesses strong integrity and firm on principles （yuan2 ze2, 原则）. 外圆内方 can also be used to describe a style of interaction with others or taking care of business （sheng1 yi4, 生意）. This kind of way of doing can be applied everywhere （dao4 chu4, 到处）: in politics （zheng4 zhi4, 政治）, business relations, foreign affairs, or daily work relations. A person with smooth way of doing or reacting with others is like one who hides an iron （tie3, 铁）fist （quan2 tou2, 拳头）in a velvet (rong2 绒）glove （shou3 tao4 手套）. In contrast to the gentle appearance in peaceful days, when uneven time calls for the resolution and action, the person with firm heart and solid thinking is the one who is brave enough to unleash his iron first to settle thing determinedly.
There is another phrase: 有棱有角 you3 ling2 you3 jiao3 . You3 (有 verb, have) ling2 (棱noun, edge, angle) you3 (有， have) jiao3 (角， noun, angle, corner, point). This phrase literally （cong2 zi4 mian4 shang4, 从字面上）means the shape is sharp with clearly cut contour, but it also means a person’s doing is not smooth at all, and he or she is definite （ming2 que4 de5, 明确的）in his or her opinion （yi4 jian4, 意见）. This type of person is easy to get into an argument or a fight with other people who have different view point.
In the voyage （hang2 cheng2, 航程）of life, we are like a rock with solid edges （bian1, 边） and sharp angles. As we went through the river of daily surviving （cun2 huo2, 存活）, years after years, we went through the battle field of getting washed （xi3 shua1, 洗刷） by the strong currents and gentle waves, and the outer roughness of us got smoothed by experience （jing1 yan4, 经验）and learning （xue2 xi2, 学习）. We become so called 园滑 yuan3 hua2 （smooth and cunning). We learn not to do thing in a harsh way. We are getting rounder and rounder in way of doing, also rounder and rounder in the body figure too !!!! Then we start to become a circle, thus, we roll and roll, for we will be so ancient that we won’t be able to walk anymore:( Dear readers, you should know this is a joke right?
Not all people become rounder and rounder when they aged. A lot of people I know are fit, agile and speedy too. It all depends on how we take care of ourselves. We are what we eat. We are what we sit. If we sit on a couch for long period of time everyday, we will become a couch （sha1 fa1, 沙发）potato （tu3 tou4 土豆，ma3 ling2 shu3马铃薯）someday, especially if you have a bag of potato chips or two or three ….
曾沛慈談自己：從有菱有角變圓滑and曾一度想逃離親友關心 曾沛慈 talked about herself: from a person of all angles and corners became a more smooth one, and once wanted to escape her relatives and friend’s concern and caring
Now, let’s hear a song — It is something soft, and something smooth, yes it is —
Stoney LaRue – Velvet