接踵而至 coming in succession
Explanation
形容接连不断，连续不断地到来。
Describes something that arrives in an uninterrupted sequence.
Origin Story
话说唐朝贞观年间，长安城内歌舞升平，国泰民安。然而，这繁华的景象背后却暗藏着危机。突厥大军屡屡犯境，边关告急。消息传到长安，百姓人心惶惶。朝廷下令，各地纷纷派兵支援边关。一时间，官道上人流如织，车水马龙，无数的将士，携带着粮草和武器，接踵而至，奔赴前线，保卫家园。皇帝李世民御驾亲征，与将士们并肩作战，最终取得了战争的胜利。此后，边关得以安定，长安城恢复了往日的繁华。而“接踵而至”这个成语，也因此流传至今，用来形容事物接连不断地到来。
During the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, Chang'an was prosperous and peaceful. However, this prosperity hid a crisis. The Turkic army frequently invaded the border, and the border was in urgent need of help. When the news reached Chang'an, the people were panic-stricken. The court ordered that troops from all over the country should be sent to support the border. For a time, the roads were filled with people and horses, and countless soldiers, carrying food and weapons, came to the front line one after another to defend their homes. Emperor Taizong personally led the expedition and fought side-by-side with his soldiers, eventually winning the war. After that, the border was stabilized, and Chang'an restored its former prosperity. Thus the idiom "jiē zhǒng ér zhì" is used to describe things that come continuously.
Usage
作谓语、定语；多用于书面语。
Used as predicate or attributive; mostly used in written language.
Examples
-
观众的掌声接踵而至。
guānzhòng de zhǎngshēng jiēzhǒngérzhì
The applause from the audience came one after another.
-
批评接踵而至，他不得不辞职。
pīpíng jiēzhǒngérzhì
Criticism came one after another, and he had to resign.