what's the meaning of " were nipped in the butt "
but were nipped in the butt before anything had a chance to happen
translate into chinese: 还没有发生就给平息了。right?

Question

what's the meaning of " were nipped in the butt "
but were nipped in the butt before anything had a chance to happen 
translate into chinese: 还没有发生就给平息了。right?

Answer

"Nipped in the bud".
It means to resolve a problem at a good time. Before it has time to get worse.