-startempty-handed;buildupfromnothing;startfromscratch;startfromtaw;buildupone'sfortunefromscratch;riseinlifewithouthelp;risebyone'sownefforts;makeafortunestartingfromscratch:
Startingbare-handed,youhavebuiltupsomanysteelplants.Thisisnothingshortofmiracles.你們白手起家,修建了這么多鋼鐵廠,這簡直是個奇跡。
Onecanhardlybelievethatthispapermillwasstartedfromscratchonlyafewyearsago.很難相信這個造紙廠僅僅是在幾年前白手起家辦起來的。