措手不及 cuò shǒu bù jí caught off guard

Explanation

指事情突然发生，来不及应付。

It means that something happens suddenly, and there is no time to deal with it.

Origin Story

话说古代一位将军，他以智谋著称，却在一次夜袭中吃了大亏。敌军利用夜色的掩护，悄无声息地包围了他的营地。将军和士兵们都睡得正香，根本没有察觉到危险的逼近。等到敌人攻入营地时，将士们才惊醒过来，却已措手不及，只能仓皇应战，最终落得个兵败如山倒的下场。事后，将军才追悔莫及，他明白自己轻敌冒进，没有做好充分的防范准备，才导致了这场惨败。他深知，在战场上，任何的疏忽都可能带来致命的打击，只有未雨绸缪，才能立于不败之地。从此以后，这位将军更加谨慎小心，时刻保持警惕，再也没有犯过类似的错误。

huì shuō gǔ dài yī wèi jiāng jūn, tā yǐ zhì móu zhù chēng, què zài yī cì yè xí zhōng chī le dà kuī. dí jūn lì yòng yè sè de yǎn hù, qiāo wú shēng xī dì bāo wéi le tā de yíng dì. jiāng jūn hé bīng shì men dōu shuì de zhèng xiāng, gēn běn méi yǒu chá jué dào wēi xiǎn de bī jìn. děng dào dí rén gōng rù yíng dì shí, jiàng shì men cái jīng xǐng guò lái, què yǐ cuò shǒu bù jí, zhǐ néng cāng huáng yìng zhàn, zuì zhōng luò de ge bīng bài rú shān dǎo de xià chǎng. shì hòu, jiāng jūn cái zhuī huǐ mò jí, tā míng bái zì jǐ qīng dí mào jìn, méi yǒu zuò hǎo chōng fèn de fáng fàn zhǔn bèi, cái dǎo zhì le zhè chǎng cǎn bài. tā shēn zhī, zài zhàn chǎng shàng, rè hé de shū hu shī dōu kě néng dài lái zhì mìng de dǎ jī, zhǐ yǒu wèi yǔ chóu móu, cái néng lì yú bù bài zhī dì. cóng cǐ yǐ hòu, zhè wèi jiāng jūn gèng jiā jǐn shèn xiǎo xīn, shí kè bǎo chí jǐng tì, zài yě méi yǒu fàn guò lèi sì de cuò wù.

Once upon a time, there was a brilliant general known for his strategic prowess. However, during a night raid, he suffered a crushing defeat. The enemy used the cover of darkness to silently surround his camp. The general and his soldiers were fast asleep, completely unaware of the impending danger. By the time the enemy attacked, the soldiers woke up only to find themselves caught off guard. They could only fight desperately, ultimately resulting in a devastating defeat. Afterward, the general deeply regretted his actions. He realized his recklessness and inadequate preparedness led to the disastrous outcome. He learned that any carelessness on the battlefield can result in a fatal blow. Only thorough preparation could ensure victory. From that day forward, the general became far more cautious and vigilant, never repeating his mistake.

Usage

常用来形容对突然发生的事情一时无法应付。

chang yong lai xing rong dui tu ran fa sheng de shi qing yi shi wu fa ying fu

Often used to describe being unable to cope with a sudden event.

Examples

• 突如其来的袭击让他措手不及。

  tu ru qi lai de xi ji rang ta cuo shou bu ji

  The sudden attack caught him off guard.

• 面对紧急情况，他措手不及，手忙脚乱。

  mian dui jin ji qing kuang,ta cuo shou bu ji,shou mang jiao luan

  Faced with an emergency, he was caught off guard and flustered.

Related Idioms

• 猝不及防

• 手足无措

• 惊慌失措

Opposite Idioms

• 从容不迫

• 处变不惊