内外夹攻 nèi wài jiā gōng attack from both inside and outside

Explanation

内外夹攻指的是从内部和外部同时进行攻击，比喻敌人从里外两面同时进攻，也比喻事情受到来自多方面的压力或阻碍。

Nei wai jia gong means attacking from both the inside and outside at the same time. It is a metaphor for the enemy attacking from both sides at the same time, and also for the pressure or obstacles encountered from multiple aspects.

Origin Story

话说三国时期，蜀汉丞相诸葛亮率领大军北伐，意图攻取魏国。魏国大将司马懿深知蜀军的实力，不敢正面硬碰硬，于是采用了内外夹攻的策略。他一面派兵死守险要关隘，阻挡蜀军主力前进，一面秘密调集精兵，绕道抄袭蜀军的后方粮草补给线。蜀军虽然勇猛，但由于后方粮草供应中断，士气大减，最终不得不退兵。这次战役，司马懿正是凭借内外夹攻的策略，成功挫败了诸葛亮的北伐计划。

shuō huà sān guó shí qī, shǔ hàn chéng xiàng zhū gě liàng shuài lǐng dà jūn běi fá, yì tú gōng qǔ wèi guó. wèi guó dà jiàng sī mǎ yì shēn zhī shǔ jūn de shí lì, bù gǎn zhèng miàn yìng pèng yìng, yú shì cǎi yòng le nèi wài jiā gōng de cè lüè. tā yī miàn pài bīng sǐ shǒu xiǎn yào guān ài, zǔ dǎng shǔ jūn zhǔ lì qián jìn, yī miàn mì mì diào jí jīng bīng, rào dào chāo xí shǔ jūn de hòu fāng liáng cǎo bǔ jǐ xiàn. shǔ jūn suī rán yǒng měng, dàn yóu yú hòu fāng liáng cǎo gōng yīng zhōng duàn, shì qì dà jiǎn, zuì zhōng bù dé bù tuì bīng. zhè cì zhàn yì, sī mǎ yì zhèng shì píng jí nèi wài jiā gōng de cè lüè, chéng gōng cuò bài le zhū gě liàng de běi fá jì huà.

During the Three Kingdoms period, Zhuge Liang, the prime minister of Shu Han, led a large army to launch a Northern Expedition, intending to conquer the Wei state. Sima Yi, a general of Wei, was well aware of the strength of the Shu army and dared not confront it head-on, so he adopted the strategy of attacking from both inside and outside. On the one hand, he sent troops to defend important passes to block the advance of the main Shu army; on the other hand, he secretly mobilized elite troops to bypass and attack the Shu army's rear supply lines. Although the Shu army was brave, due to the interruption of supplies from the rear, their morale dropped significantly, and they eventually had to retreat. In this campaign, Sima Yi succeeded in thwarting Zhuge Liang's Northern Expedition plan using the strategy of attacking from both inside and outside.

Usage

作谓语、宾语、定语；多用于军事和政治领域，形容双方同时从内部和外部施加压力。

zuò wèi yǔ, bīn yǔ, dìng yǔ; duō yòng yú jūn shì hé zhèng zhì lǐng yù, xíng róng shuāng fāng tóng shí cóng nèi bù hé wài bù shī jiā yā lì

Used as a predicate, object, and attributive; mostly used in military and political fields, describing both sides exerting pressure from the inside and outside at the same time.

Examples

• 敌军内外夹攻，我军腹背受敌。

  dí jūn nèi wài jiā gōng, wǒ jūn fù bèi shòu dí

  The enemy attacked from both inside and outside, and our army was attacked from both sides.

• 这次竞争，对手内外夹攻，我们必须全力以赴。

  zhè cì jìng zhēng, duì shǒu nèi wài jiā gōng, wǒ men bì xū quán lì yǐ fù

  In this competition, opponents are attacking from the inside and outside, we must go all out.

Related Idioms

• 内外夹击

• 里应外合

• 前后夹击

Opposite Idioms

• 单方面攻击

• 孤立无援