一蹶不振 not recover from a setback
Explanation
指遭受一次挫折以后就再也振作不起来。比喻意志消沉，失去进取心。
It refers to someone who is unable to recover and rise again after a setback. It describes a state of discouragement and lack of ambition.
Origin Story
话说唐朝时，有个书生叫王冕，从小家境贫寒，靠着放牛为生。王冕聪明好学，但因为没有钱读书，只能利用放牛的时间，在草地上读书。有一次，王冕在放牛的时候，遇到一位老先生，老先生看到王冕勤奋好学的样子，便主动教他读书。王冕很感激老先生的教诲，学习更加刻苦。几年后，王冕终于考上了秀才，他决心继续努力，考取功名。然而，在参加乡试的时候，王冕却意外落榜了。王冕受到打击，一蹶不振，从此郁郁寡欢。
It is said that during the Tang Dynasty, there was a scholar named Wang Mian who came from a poor family and made a living by herding cows. Wang Mian was intelligent and eager to learn, but because he had no money to study, he could only use the time he spent herding cows to read in the grass. One day, while herding his cows, Wang Mian met an old gentleman. The old gentleman saw Wang Mian's diligence and eagerness to learn, so he offered to teach him. Wang Mian was very grateful for the old gentleman's teaching and studied even harder. After a few years, Wang Mian finally passed the examination to become a scholar. He was determined to continue working hard to achieve fame and fortune. However, when he took the provincial examination, Wang Mian unexpectedly failed. Wang Mian was discouraged and gave up hope, he was sad and depressed.
Usage
这个成语主要用于比喻人遇到挫折后，意志消沉，无法振作，常用作贬义。例如：”他经过这次失败后，一蹶不振，再也提不起精神来。“
This idiom is mainly used to describe someone who is unable to recover and rise again after a setback. It is often used pejoratively. For example:
Examples
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创业失败，他一蹶不振，从此消沉下去。
chuàng yè shī bài, tā yī jué bù zhèn, cóng cǐ xiāo chén xià qù.
After the failure of his business, he was disheartened and never recovered.
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他经过这次失败后，一蹶不振，再也提不起精神来。
tā jīng guò zhè cì shī bài hòu, yī jué bù zhèn, zài yě tí bù qǐ jīng shén lái.
He was so depressed after this failure that he never could recover.