大祸临头 great disaster is imminent
Explanation
指大灾祸就要来临。形容情况危急，灾难即将发生。
Means that a great disaster is about to happen. It describes a dangerous situation where disaster is imminent.
Origin Story
话说唐朝时期，有一位名叫李白的诗人，他年轻的时候，意气风发，觉得自己才华横溢，天下无敌，便四处游历，纵情山水。一日，李白在黄河边上饮酒作诗，突然，一阵狂风卷起黄沙，天昏地暗，河水暴涨，眼看就要把他吞没。他这才意识到大祸临头，连忙弃笔逃命，幸好及时躲过一劫。此后，李白便开始注重自身安危，不再像以前那样狂放不羁。 这则故事体现了大祸临头这个成语的含义。李白之前过于自负，忽视了潜在的危险，险些丧命，这令他明白，无论多么才华横溢，也必须谨慎小心，才能避免大祸临头。
In the Tang Dynasty, there was a poet named Li Bai. In his youth, he was full of spirit and believed in his unparalleled talent. He traveled extensively and enjoyed nature. One day, he was drinking wine and composing poems by the Yellow River. Suddenly, a strong wind swept up sand, and the sky darkened. The river rose rapidly, threatening to swallow him. He realized the impending danger and fled for his life, narrowly escaping death. After that, Li Bai began to pay attention to his safety and was no longer as unrestrained as before. This story illustrates the meaning of the idiom "dà huò lín tóu". Li Bai was previously too self-confident and overlooked potential dangers, nearly losing his life. This taught him that no matter how talented one is, one must be cautious to avoid impending disaster.
Usage
作宾语、定语；指面临危机。
Used as an object and attributive; refers to an impending crisis.
Examples
-
大祸临头，赶紧想办法脱身。
dà huò lín tóu, gǎn jǐn xiǎng bànfa tuō shēn。
Disaster is imminent, quickly find a way to escape.
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眼看大祸临头，他却无动于衷。
yǎn kàn dà huò lín tóu, tā què wú dòng yú zhōng。
With disaster looming, he remains indifferent..