先斩后奏 xiān zhǎn hòu zòu Act first, report later

Explanation

原指臣子先把人处决了，然后再报告帝王。现比喻未经请示就先做了某事，造成既成事实，然后再向上级报告。

Originally referred to a minister who executed someone and then reported it to the emperor. Now it is used to describe someone who does something without permission, creates a fait accompli, and then reports it to their superiors.

Origin Story

话说唐朝时期，有个名叫李靖的将军，他骁勇善战，深受唐太宗的赏识。一次，李靖奉命征讨突厥，在战场上遇到突厥大军。李靖见敌军势大，为了迅速取得胜利，决定先斩后奏，下令士兵们发起猛攻。结果，唐军大获全胜，李靖凯旋而归。唐太宗得知后，并未责怪李靖的擅作主张，反而赞赏了他的果断和胆识。从此，“先斩后奏”便成为人们津津乐道的典故，用来形容那些在紧急关头，果断决策，取得胜利的人。但是，现代社会，“先斩后奏”更多的是指在未经允许的情况下，先做了事情，然后再报告领导，这种做法通常不被提倡，容易造成不良后果。

huà shuō táng cháo shíqí, yǒu gè míng jiào lǐ jìng de jiāngjūn, tā xiāoyǒng shànzhàn, shēn shòu táng tài zōng de shǎngshí。yī cì, lǐ jìng fèng mìng zhēngtǎo tūjué, zài zhànchǎng shàng yù dào tūjué dàjūn。lǐ jìng jiàn díjūn shì dà, wèile xùnsù qǔdé shènglì, juédìng xiān zhǎn hòu zòu, xià lìng shìbīngmen fāqǐ měng gōng。jiéguǒ, tángjūn dà huò quán shèng, lǐ jìng kāixuán ér guī。táng tài zōng dé zhī hòu, bìng wèi zéguài lǐ jìng de shàn zuò zhǔ zhāng, fǎn'ér zànshǎng le tā de guǒduàn hé dǎnshí。cóng cǐ，“xiān zhǎn hòu zòu” biàn chéngwéi rénmen jīnjīn lèdào de diǎngù, yòng lái xíngróng nàxiē zài jǐnjí guān tóu, guǒduàn juécè, qǔdé shènglì de rén。dànshì, xiàndài shèhuì，“xiān zhǎn hòu zòu” gèng duō de shì zhǐ zài wèi jīng yǔnxǔ de qíngkuàng xià, xiān zuò le shìqíng, rán hòu bàogào lǐngdǎo, zhè zhǒng zuòfǎ tōngcháng bù bèi tíchàng, róngyì zàochéng bùliáng hòuguǒ。

During the Tang Dynasty, there was a brave general named Li Jing who was highly regarded by Emperor Taizong. Once, Li Jing was ordered to conquer the Turks and encountered their large army on the battlefield. Seeing the enemy's strength, Li Jing, in order to achieve a swift victory, decided to act first and report later. He ordered the soldiers to launch a fierce attack. As a result, the Tang army won a great victory, and Li Jing returned triumphantly. Emperor Taizong, instead of blaming Li Jing for his arbitrary actions, praised his decisiveness and courage. From then on, "xian zhan hou zou" became a well-known anecdote, used to describe those who make decisive decisions and achieve victory in critical situations. However, in modern society, "xian zhan hou zou" more often refers to doing something without permission and then reporting it to one's superiors, a practice that is generally discouraged as it can lead to adverse consequences.

Usage

用于形容未经请示就先做了某事，然后再向上级报告的行为。

yòng yú xíngróng wèi jīng qǐngshì jiù xiān zuò le mǒushì, rán hòu zài xiàng shàng jí bàogào de xíngwéi。

Used to describe the act of doing something without prior permission and then reporting it to a superior.

Examples

• 将军一声令下，士兵们先斩后奏，迅速解决了敌军。

  jiāngjūn yīshēng lìngxià, shìbīngmen xiān zhǎn hòu zòu, xùnsù jiějué le díjūn。

  At the general's command, the soldiers acted first and reported later, quickly solving the enemy forces.

• 他未经请示就擅自做主，事后才先斩后奏，结果被领导批评了一顿。

  tā wèi jīng qǐngshì jiù shànzì zuòzhǔ, shìhòu cái xiān zhǎn hòu zòu, jiéguǒ bèi lǐngdǎo pīpíng le yīdùn。

  He acted on his own initiative without prior consent, and only reported afterwards, resulting in a reprimand from his superiors.

Related Idioms

• 先礼后兵

• 先斩后闻

• 先行后闻

Opposite Idioms

• 事先请示

• 请示汇报