偃武修文 yǎn wǔ xiū wén to stop warfare, cultivate arts and literature

Explanation

偃武修文，意思是停止战争，发展文化教育。这是一个和平的理想状态，通常用于形容社会安定、文化繁荣的时期。

Yanwu Xiuwen means to stop war and develop culture and education. It is an ideal state of peace, often used to describe a period of social stability and cultural prosperity.

Origin Story

话说大禹治水成功后，天下终于结束了长期水患的困扰，百姓安居乐业。大禹深知水患过后，国家百废待兴，便励精图治，大力发展农业和手工业，同时重视文化教育，兴办学校，鼓励人们学习知识，提升文化素养。他还下令禁止一切战争行为，以促进社会安定团结。一时间，国家呈现出一派欣欣向荣的景象，这便是历史上著名的“偃武修文”的典范。从此，“偃武修文”成为后世统治者追求的理想状态，也成为人们对和平、安定与繁荣的向往。 然而，历史并非一帆风顺。随着时间的推移，一些统治者贪图享乐，沉迷于诗酒风流，忽视国家建设，导致“偃武修文”变为纸上谈兵。也有许多统治者在国家危难之际，不得不重新拿起武器，保家卫国，这便是历史的无奈。

shuō huà dà yǔ zhì shuǐ chénggōng hòu, tiān xià zhōng yú jié shù le cháng qí shuǐ huàn de kǔn rǎo, bǎi xìng ān jū lè yè. dà yǔ shēn zhī shuǐ huàn guò hòu, guó jiā bǎi fèi dài xīng, biàn lì jīng tú zhì, dà lì fā zhǎn nóng yè hé shǒu gōng yè, tóng shí zhòng shì wén huà jiào yù, xīng bàn xué xiào, gǔ lì rén men xué xí zhī shì, tí shēng wén huà sù yǎng. tā hái xià lìng jìn zhǐ yī qiè zhàn zhēng xíng wéi, yǐ cù jìn shè huì ān dìng tuán jié. yī shí jiān, guó jiā chéng xiàn chū yī pài xīn xīn xiāng róng de jǐng xiàng, zhè biàn shì lì shǐ shàng zhù míng de “yǎn wǔ xiū wén” de diǎn fàn. cóng cǐ, “yǎn wǔ xiū wén” chéng wéi hòu shì tǒng zhì zhě zhuī qiú de lǐ xiǎng zhuàng tài, yě chéng wéi rén men duì hé píng, ān dìng yǔ fán róng de xiàng wǎng.

After Yu the Great successfully controlled the floods, the country finally ended the long-term suffering caused by water disasters, and the people lived and worked in peace and contentment. Yu the Great knew that after the flood disaster, the country needed to be rebuilt, so he worked hard and vigorously developed agriculture and handicrafts. At the same time, he attached great importance to culture and education, established schools, and encouraged people to learn knowledge and improve their cultural literacy. He also ordered a ban on all acts of war to promote social stability and unity. For a while, the country presented a scene of vigorous prosperity, which is the famous historical example of "Yanwu Xiuwen". Since then, "Yanwu Xiuwen" has become the ideal state pursued by later rulers and people's yearning for peace, stability, and prosperity. However, history is not always smooth sailing. As time goes by, some rulers indulge in pleasure, indulge in poetry and wine, neglect national construction, leading to "Yanwu Xiuwen" becoming an empty talk. Many rulers have had to take up arms again in times of national crisis to defend their homes and country, which is the helplessness of history.

Usage

用于形容国家安定、文化繁荣的景象，也常用来批评只顾发展文化而忽视国防的现象。

yongyu xingrong guojia anding, wenhua fanrong de jingxiang, ye chang yong lai piping zhigu fazhan wenhua er huoshi guofang de xianxiang

Used to describe the scene of national stability and cultural prosperity, it is also often used to criticize the phenomenon of neglecting national defense in favor of cultural development.

Examples

• 太平盛世，偃武修文，百姓安居乐业。

  taiping shengshi, yanwu xiuwen, baixing anjuleye

  In times of peace, one should lay down arms and cultivate the arts and sciences.

• 国家强盛，既要发展经济，又要加强国防，不可一味偃武修文

  guojia qiangsheng, jiyao fazhan jingji, youyao jiangjia guofang, keyi yiwei yanwu xiuwen

  A strong country must strengthen both its economy and its defense; it cannot simply abandon military power and only focus on the arts and sciences

Related Idioms

• 太平盛世

• 国泰民安

• 文治武功

Opposite Idioms

• 兵荒马乱

• 战乱频仍