人心向背 people's hearts and minds
Explanation
人心向背指人民大众的拥护或反对。它反映了民心所向，是衡量一个政权、政策或人物是否具有合法性、权威性和民意的重要指标。
The support or opposition of the masses. It reflects the direction of public opinion and is an important indicator of the legitimacy, authority and public opinion of a regime, policy or person.
Origin Story
话说唐太宗时期，天下初定，百废待兴。太宗励精图治，广纳谏言，深得民心。一次，一位大臣向太宗进言说："陛下，如今虽然天下太平，但仍需谨慎，要时刻关注人心向背，才能稳固江山。"太宗沉思片刻，点了点头，说："卿言极是！"于是他下令在全国各地设立告示牌，鼓励百姓上书言事，广泛收集民情，及时了解百姓疾苦，从而制定更符合民意的政策。几年后，唐朝国力日益强盛，百姓安居乐业，这与太宗时刻关注人心向背，体察民情，励精图治密不可分。
During the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, the country was newly unified, and there was much to be done. Taizong worked hard to govern, accepted advice, and enjoyed the support of the people. Once, a minister advised Taizong, "Your Majesty, although the country is now at peace, you must still be cautious and always pay attention to public opinion to secure the empire." Taizong pondered for a moment, nodded, and said, "You are right!" So he ordered the setting up of notice boards across the country to encourage the people to submit their opinions, to gather public sentiment widely, and to understand the suffering of the people in time, so as to formulate policies that are more in line with the public will. Several years later, the Tang Dynasty became increasingly powerful, and the people lived in peace and prosperity. This was inseparable from Taizong’s constant attention to public opinion, his understanding of the people's needs, and his diligent efforts in governance.
Usage
人心向背通常用作主语、谓语或宾语，用于形容社会大众对某件事或某个人的态度。
The term 'people's hearts and minds' is often used as a subject, predicate or object to describe the attitude of the general public towards something or someone.
Examples
-
他做了很多坏事，已经失去了人心向背。
ta zuo le hen duo huai shi, yijing shi qu le ren xin xiang bei. guojia de shengshuai, zaiyu ren xin xiang bei
He has done many bad things and has lost the hearts and minds of the people.
-
这次改革能否成功，关键在于人心向背。
The success of this reform depends on the support of the people.