十面埋伏 shí miàn mái fú ten-sided ambush

Explanation

这个成语出自《史记·项羽本纪》，形容敌军被重重包围，无路可逃。也比喻四面楚歌，孤立无援的困境。

This idiom comes from the "Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji)" by "Xiang Yu", which describes how the enemy army was surrounded by all sides and had no way to escape. It is also used as a metaphor for a feeling of being abandoned and isolated, such as "sung from all sides".

Origin Story

公元前202年，楚汉战争已经进入到白热化的阶段，汉王刘邦率领大军包围了项羽的部队，项羽被围困在垓下。汉军采用了“十面埋伏”的战术，将项羽的军队包围得水泄不通。项羽的士兵士气低落，军心涣散，最终在绝望中选择了自刎。 “十面埋伏”的战术，在历史上屡见不鲜，它利用兵力优势，将敌军包围，使其无法逃脱，从而取得胜利。 然而，“十面埋伏”也存在着一定的风险，如果被敌军识破，就会陷入被动，甚至全军覆没。所以，在运用“十面埋伏”战术时，一定要谨慎小心，做好充分的准备。

gōng yuán qián èr líng èr nián, chǔ hàn zhàn zhēng yǐ jīng jìn rù dào bái rè huà de jiē duàn, hàn wáng liú bāng shuài lǐng dà jūn bào wéi le xiàng yǔ de bù duì, xiàng yǔ bèi wéi kùn zài gāi xià. hàn jūn cǎi yòng le “shí miàn mái fú” de zhàn shù, jiāng xiàng yǔ de jūn duì bào wéi de shuǐ xiè bù tōng. xiàng yǔ de shì bīng shì qì dī luò, jūn xīn huàn sàn, zuì zhōng zài jué wàng zhōng xuǎn zé le zì wěn.

In 202 BC, the Chu-Han War had entered a white-hot stage. Han King Liu Bang led a large army to surround Xiang Yu's troops. Xiang Yu was besieged in Gaixia. The Han army used the tactic of "ten-sided ambush", surrounding Xiang Yu's army so that they could not escape. Xiang Yu's soldiers were demoralized and their hearts were scattered. Finally, in despair, they chose to commit suicide. The tactic of "ten-sided ambush" has been used frequently in history. It uses numerical superiority to surround the enemy army, preventing them from escaping, thus achieving victory. However, the "ten-sided ambush" also has certain risks. If it is discovered by the enemy, it will fall into a passive situation, even being completely wiped out. Therefore, when using the "ten-sided ambush" tactic, one must be careful and make adequate preparations.

Usage

这个成语形容军队布下重重埋伏，将敌人包围的战术，也比喻四面受敌，陷入绝境。

zhè ge chéng yǔ xíng róng jūn duì bù xià chóng chóng mái fú, jiāng dí rén bào wéi de zhàn shù, yě bǐ yù sì miàn shòu dí, jiàn rù jué jìng.

This idiom describes the tactic of an army setting up multiple ambushes to surround the enemy. It also refers to being attacked from all sides and being in a desperate situation.

Examples

  • 敌军已经被我们团团围住，可谓是十面埋伏。

    dí jūn yǐ jīng bèi wǒ men tuán tuán wéi zhù, kě wèi shì shí miàn mái fú.

    The enemy army has been surrounded by us, it can be said that they are in an ambush.

  • 这场比赛我们准备了很久，制定了十面埋伏的战术，最终取得了胜利。

    zhè chǎng bǐ sài wǒ men zhǔn bèi le hěn jiǔ, zhì dìng le shí miàn mái fú de zhàn shù, zuì zhōng qǔ dé le shèng lì.

    We have been preparing for this game for a long time, developed a ten-sided ambush tactic, and finally won the victory.

Related Idioms

  • 瓮中捉鳖

  • 腹背受敌

  • 瓮中之鳖

  • 釜底抽薪

Opposite Idioms

  • 四面楚歌