半夜三更 dead of night
Explanation
半夜三更指深夜，通常指午夜十二点左右。一夜分为五更，三更便是第三更，大约是晚上十一点到凌晨一点之间。
It refers to late at night, usually around twelve o'clock at midnight. A night is divided into five gongs (periods of time), and the third gong is roughly between eleven at night and one in the morning.
Origin Story
很久以前，在一个偏僻的小山村里，住着一位老中医，他医术高明，常常半夜三更被人叫去治病。一天半夜三更，一阵急促的敲门声惊醒了老中医，原来是村里一位年轻的姑娘突然病倒了，情况十分危急。老中医顾不上多想，立刻披衣起床，带上药箱，赶往姑娘家。路上，他看到漆黑的山路，心里不禁有些害怕，但想到姑娘的病情，他加快了脚步。到达姑娘家后，老中医仔细检查了姑娘的病情，并给她开了药方，姑娘服药后病情很快好转。老中医这才放下心来，回到家中，已是东方发白。
Long ago, in a remote mountain village, lived an old physician known for his excellent medical skills. Often, he would be called upon in the dead of night to treat the sick. One night, in the dead of night, a sudden, urgent knocking woke the physician. It was a young woman in the village who had fallen suddenly ill and was in critical condition. The physician, without hesitation, got up and dressed quickly, and rushed off to the woman’s house, taking his medical kit along. Along the way, he saw the pitch-black mountain path and felt a pang of fear in his heart, but thinking of the young woman’s condition, he quickened his pace. Upon reaching the woman’s house, the physician carefully examined her and wrote a prescription for her. After taking the medicine, the woman’s condition improved rapidly. Only then did the physician feel relieved and return home, just as dawn was breaking.
Usage
表示深夜，通常用于描写夜晚的场景或活动。
Indicates late at night, often used to describe nighttime scenes or activities.
Examples
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他常常工作到半夜三更。
ta changchang gongzuo dao banye san geng.
He often works until the dead of night.
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半夜三更，街上一个人也没有。
banye san geng, jieshang yige ren ye meiyou
At midnight, there was no one on the street.