按兵不动 àn bīng bù dòng wait and see

Explanation

这个成语的意思是:按住军队,不让他们行动。比喻暂时停止行动,等待时机。

This idiom means: Hold back the army, don't let them move. Figuratively, it means to stop action temporarily and wait for the right time.

Origin Story

春秋时期,卫国国君卫灵公想要摆脱晋国的控制,于是与齐国结盟。晋国对此十分不满,就派大将赵鞅带领军队驻扎在卫国边境,准备进攻。卫灵公得知消息后,十分慌张,召集大臣商量对策。一位大臣建议说:“我们应该立刻出兵迎击,否则晋军会一举攻破我们。”另一位大臣则建议说:“现在晋国兵力强大,我们不如按兵不动,等待时机。”卫灵公采纳了后者的建议,命令军队停止行动,静观其变。结果,晋国军队由于长时间驻扎在边境,士气低落,粮草不足,不得不撤军。卫国最终保住了自己的国家。

chun qiu shi qi, wei guo guo jun wei ling gong xiang yao bie tuo jin guo de kong zhi, yu shi yu qi guo jie meng. jin guo dui ci shi fen bu man, jiu pai da jiang zhao yang dai ling jun dui zhu zha zai wei guo bian jing, zhun bei gong ji. wei ling gong de zhi xiao xi hou, shi fen huang zhang, zhao ji da chen shang liang dui ce. yi wei da chen jian yi shuo: "women ying gai li ke chu bing ying ji, fou ze jin jun hui yi ju gong po women." ling yi wei da chen ze jian yi shuo: "xianzai jin guo bing li qiang da, women bu ru an bing bu dong, deng dai shi ji." wei ling gong cai na le hou zhe de jian yi, ming ling jun dui ting zhi xing dong, jing guan qi bian. jie guo, jin guo jun dui you yu chang shi jian zhu zha zai bian jing, shi qi di luo, liang cao bu zu, bu de bu che jun. wei guo zui zhong bao zhu le zi ji de guo jia.

During the Spring and Autumn Period, the ruler of the state of Wei, Wei Linggong, wanted to break free from the control of the state of Jin, so he formed an alliance with the state of Qi. The state of Jin was very dissatisfied with this and sent the general Zhao Yang to lead an army stationed on the border of Wei, preparing to attack. Upon receiving the news, Wei Linggong was very panicked and called his ministers to discuss countermeasures. One minister suggested: “We should immediately send troops to meet the enemy, otherwise, the Jin army will attack and conquer us in one go.” Another minister suggested: “Now the Jin army is strong, we should not move and wait for the opportunity.” Wei Linggong adopted the latter suggestion and ordered the army to cease operations and wait and see. As a result, the Jin army had to withdraw due to their long stay on the border, low morale, and insufficient food and supplies. Wei finally saved his country.

Usage

这个成语多用于比喻在遇到问题或困难时,采取观望的态度,等待时机,而不是立即行动。

zhe ge cheng yu duo yong yu bi yu zai yu dao wen ti huo kun nan shi, cai qu guan wang de tai du, deng dai shi ji, er bu shi li ji xing dong.

This idiom is often used to describe a situation where one takes a wait-and-see attitude when facing problems or difficulties, waiting for the right time instead of acting immediately.

Examples

  • 面对强敌,他决定按兵不动,等待时机。

    mian dui qiang di, ta jue ding an bing bu dong, deng dai shi ji.

    Faced with a powerful enemy, he decided to wait and see, not to act rashly.

  • 我们现在按兵不动,静观其变。

    women xianzai an bing bu dong, jing guan qi bian.

    We are waiting and seeing for now.

  • 公司决定暂时按兵不动,观望市场反应。

    gong si jue ding zan shi an bing bu dong, guan wang shi chang fan ying

    The company decided to wait and see the market reaction for the time being.