兵微将寡 few soldiers and generals
Explanation
兵微将寡，意思是士兵少，将领也少。形容力量薄弱，实力不足。
Bīng wēi jiàng guǎ means that soldiers and generals are few. It describes weak power and insufficient strength.
Origin Story
话说三国时期，蜀汉丞相诸葛亮北伐中原，屡次受挫。蜀国地小民穷，国力不如魏国雄厚，兵微将寡，只能凭借精兵强将和巧妙的战术与魏军周旋。一次，诸葛亮率领大军驻扎在渭水之滨，魏军大将司马懿率领大军前来挑战。司马懿深知蜀汉兵微将寡，粮草匮乏，便采取了坚壁清野的策略，企图耗尽蜀军的实力。诸葛亮也意识到了魏军的意图，他并没有贸然进攻，而是采取了稳扎稳打的策略，一方面修整军备，另一方面积极寻找机会，伺机而动。最终，在经过长期艰苦的斗争后，诸葛亮利用司马懿的轻敌心理，设下埋伏，大败魏军，取得了北伐战争的阶段性胜利，也为蜀汉争取了宝贵的喘息时间。然而，蜀汉的国力始终不如魏国，兵微将寡的局面一直没有得到根本性的改变，诸葛亮最终病逝五丈原。
During the Three Kingdoms period, Zhuge Liang, the chancellor of Shu Han, repeatedly suffered setbacks in his Northern Expeditions to conquer the Central Plains. Shu was a small and poor country, its national power far inferior to the mighty Wei state. With few soldiers and generals, Shu Han could only rely on its elite troops, strong generals, and clever tactics to maneuver against Wei’s army. Once, Zhuge Liang stationed his army by the Wei River when Sima Yi, a Wei general, came to challenge him. Sima Yi, aware of Shu Han’s limited numbers and dwindling supplies, adopted a scorched-earth policy, attempting to exhaust Shu’s strength. Zhuge Liang, realizing Sima Yi's intentions, avoided a rash attack, opting for a steady, conservative approach. He rebuilt his army and actively sought opportunities to strike. Eventually, after a long and arduous struggle, Zhuge Liang exploited Sima Yi’s overconfidence, setting an ambush that decisively defeated Wei’s army, achieving a major victory in the Northern Expeditions and buying Shu Han valuable time. However, Shu Han’s national strength remained inferior to Wei, and its shortage of soldiers and generals persisted, ultimately leading to Zhuge Liang's death at Wuzhangyuan.
Usage
用作宾语、定语；形容力量薄弱。
Used as an object or attributive; describes weak forces.
Examples
-
面对强大的对手，我们兵微将寡，必须谨慎应对。
miànduì qiángdà de duìshǒu, wǒmen bīng wēi jiàng guǎ, bìxū jǐnshèn yìngduì.
Facing a powerful opponent, we are outnumbered and must act cautiously.
-
创业初期，公司兵微将寡，但团队成员士气高昂，努力拼搏。
chuàngyè chūqī, gōngsī bīng wēi jiàng guǎ, dàn tuánduì chéngyuán shìqì gāoáng, nǔlì pīnbó
In the early days of the startup, the company was understaffed, but the team members were highly motivated and worked hard.