互为表里 hù wéi biǎo lǐ interdependent

Explanation

比喻两者互相依存，密不可分，缺一不可。

It is used to describe two things that are interdependent, inseparable and indispensable.

Origin Story

战国时期，魏国有个名叫田文的将军，他善于用兵，屡建奇功。有一次，他率军攻打齐国，齐国大将田忌率兵抵抗。两军对垒，田文发现齐军阵营内乱，士气低落，于是决定乘胜追击。齐军一路溃败，田文率军乘势追击，直逼齐国都城临淄。齐王被迫求和，田文这才班师回朝。魏王对田文大加赞赏，并任命他为大将军。然而，田文却始终保持谦虚谨慎的态度，从不骄傲自满。他认为自己的成功，离不开魏国上下同心同德的支持和帮助。他总是说："国家兴亡，匹夫有责。"他深知，一个国家的兴盛与人民的生活水平息息相关，两者互为表里。 田文治理魏国期间，他大力发展农业生产，兴修水利，减轻赋税，使百姓安居乐业。同时，他还重视军事建设，加强军队训练，提高军队战斗力。在他的领导下，魏国国力日渐强盛，成为当时世界上最强大的国家之一。 田文的成功，充分体现了他卓越的军事才能和高超的治国才能。他深知，一个国家的强大，不仅需要强大的军事力量，更需要经济和人民的共同发展，两者互为表里，密不可分。

zhànguó shíqí, wèiguó yǒu gè míng wèi tián wén de jiāngjūn, tā shàn yú yòng bīng, lǚ jiàn qí gōng. yǒu yī cì, tā shuài jūn gōng dǎ qí guó, qí guó dà jiāng tián jì shuài bīng dǐkàng. liǎng jūn duì lěi, tián wén fāxiàn qí jūn zhènyíng nèi luàn, shì qì dīluò, yúshì juédìng chéng shèng zhuī jī. qí jūn yī lù kuì bài, tián wén shuài jūn chéng shì zhuī jī, zhí bī qí guó dū chéng línzī. qí wáng bèipò qiú hé, tián wén cái cǎi bānshī huí cháo. wèi wáng duì tián wén dà jiā zànshǎng, bìng rèn mìng tā wèi dà jiāngjūn. rán'ér, tián wén què shǐ zhōng bǎochí qiānxū jǐnshèn de tàidu, cóng bù jiāo'ào zìmǎn. tā rènwéi zìjǐ de chénggōng, lí bu kāi wèi guó shàng xià tóng xīn tóng dé de zhīchí hé bāngzhù. tā zǒng shì shuō: "guójiā xīngwáng, pǐfū yǒu zé." tā shēnzhī, yīgè guójiā de xīngshèng yǔ rénmín de shēnghuó shuǐpíng xīxī xiāngguān, liǎng zhě hù wéi biǎo lǐ.

During the Warring States period, there was a general named Tian Wen in the Wei Kingdom. He was skilled in warfare and made many achievements. Once, he led his army to attack the Qi Kingdom, and Qi’s general, Tian Ji, led his troops to resist. When the two armies faced off, Tian Wen noticed that the Qi army was in chaos and morale was low. He decided to take advantage of this and pursue. The Qi army was defeated, and Tian Wen pursued them all the way to Linzi, the capital of Qi. Qi's king was forced to sue for peace, and Tian Wen then returned to court. King Wei praised Tian Wen and appointed him as the great general. However, Tian Wen always remained modest. He believed that his success was inseparable from the wholehearted support and help of the people in Wei. He knew that the prosperity of a country is closely related to the people’s living standards, and the two are interdependent.

Usage

用来形容两个事物或现象相互依存，密不可分的关系。

yòng lái xíngróng liǎng ge shìwù huò xiànxiàng xiānghù yīcún, mì bù kěfēn de guānxi.

It is used to describe the interdependent and inseparable relationship between two things or phenomena.

Examples

• 改革开放以来，国家经济发展和人民生活水平提高，两者互为表里。

  gǎigé kāifàng yǐlái, guójiā jīngjì fāzhǎn hé rénmín shēnghuó shuǐpíng tígāo, liǎng zhě hù wéi biǎo lǐ

  Since the reform and opening up, the national economic development and the improvement of people's living standards have complemented each other.

• 他俩一个负责内务，一个负责外务，可谓互为表里。

  tā liǎ yīgè fùzé nèiwù, yīgè fùzé wàiwù, kěwèi hù wéi biǎo lǐ

  One of them is in charge of internal affairs, and the other is in charge of external affairs. They complement each other well.

Related Idioms

• 唇亡齿寒

• 休戚相关

Opposite Idioms

• 互不相关

• 毫不相干