一鸣惊人 A single cry that startles the world
Explanation
“一鸣惊人”比喻平时没有突出的表现，一下子做出惊人的成绩。
"A single cry that startles the world" means that someone who is usually not noticeable suddenly surprises everyone with a performance that impresses everyone.
Origin Story
古代有个叫韩非子的人，他写了一本书叫《韩非子》，里面有一个故事。故事说，有一个鸟，平时它不飞，但是它一飞就能飞到天上。平时它也不叫，但是它一叫就能惊动所有的人。这就是“一鸣惊人”这个成语的由来。这个故事告诉我们，一个人即使平时没有显赫的功名，只要努力学习，不断提升自己，最终就能取得巨大的成就。
In ancient times, there was a man named Han Feizi. He wrote a book called “Han Feizi” which contains a story. The story says that there is a bird, usually it doesn't fly, but once it flies, it can fly to the sky. It also doesn't sing usually, but once it sings, it can startle all the people. This is the origin of the idiom “A single cry that startles the world”. This story teaches us that even if a person doesn't have any prominent achievements in life, as long as he works hard to learn, continuously improves himself, he can eventually make great achievements.
Usage
“一鸣惊人”常用来形容一个人在默默无闻之后，突然做出惊人的成绩，取得巨大的成功。
"A single cry that startles the world" is often used to describe someone who, after a period of obscurity, suddenly achieves a remarkable achievement, leading to great success.
Examples
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他一直默默无闻，这次终于一鸣惊人，获得了大奖。
ta yi zhi mo mo wu wen, zhe ci zhong yu yi ming jing ren, huo de le da jiang.
He was always inconspicuous, but this time he made a sensation and won the prize.
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这个小演员一鸣惊人，首次演出就获得了最佳新人奖。
zhe ge xiao yan yuan yi ming jing ren, shou ci yan chu jiu huo de le zui jia xin ren jiang.
This young actor made a sensation and won the Best Newcomer Award in his first performance.