天崩地坼 Heaven collapses, earth splits
Explanation
形容重大的变故或巨大的声响。
To describe a major event or a huge sound.
Origin Story
话说周烈王时期，诸侯们越来越强大，根本不把朝廷放在眼里，只有齐威王还比较重视周朝，每年都去朝拜天子，赢得了“仁义之士”的美名。后来，周烈王去世了，齐威王竟然没有立刻赶去吊唁。新继位的周天子非常生气，派使者到齐国责备齐威王说："先王驾崩，这可是天崩地坼的大事，你竟然姗姗来迟，这该如何处罚呢？"齐威王听后，并没有惊慌失措，他从容地解释说："我听说，天崩地坼的事情发生，诸侯应该第一时间赶到周朝，可是，我现在赶去也于事无补，还不如好好料理国家事务，以实际行动表达我的哀思。"周天子听后，觉得齐威王言之有理，也就没有追究他的责任。
During the reign of King Lie of Zhou, the feudal lords grew increasingly powerful and disregarded the court completely. Only King Wei of Qi still valued the Zhou Dynasty and made annual pilgrimages to pay homage to the emperor, earning the reputation of a "righteous and virtuous man". After King Lie passed away, King Wei of Qi surprisingly did not immediately rush to offer condolences. The newly enthroned emperor of Zhou was extremely angry and dispatched an envoy to reprimand King Wei of Qi, saying: "The death of the previous king is a matter of the heavens collapsing and the earth splitting—a momentous event. Yet you have arrived late; how should you be punished?" King Wei of Qi, without a moment of panic, calmly explained: "I have heard that when the heavens collapse and the earth splits, the feudal lords should rush to Zhou immediately. However, going now would be of no use; it's better to properly manage state affairs and express my grief through concrete actions." The emperor of Zhou, finding King Wei's reasoning sound, did not pursue the matter further.
Usage
用于形容重大的事情或巨大的声音。
Used to describe major events or huge sounds.
Examples
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地震带来的灾难，真是天崩地坼！
dizhen dailaide zai'nan, zhenshi tianbengdiche!
The disaster caused by the earthquake was truly earth-shattering!
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消息传来，天崩地坼，人心惶惶。
xiaoxi chuilai, tianbengdiche, renxin huang huang
The news came, the sky collapsed and the earth cracked, people were in panic and fear.