望风而降 surrender at the sight of the enemy
Explanation
望风而降，意思是看到敌人的影子就投降，形容军队毫无斗志，轻易投降。
Wàngfēng'érjiàng means surrendering at the sight of the enemy, describing an army's lack of fighting spirit and easy surrender.
Origin Story
话说公元前209年，陈胜吴广起义，揭开了秦末农民大起义的序幕。一时间，许多地方纷纷响应，纷纷举兵反秦。起义军势如破竹，所到之处，许多城池望风而降，甚至连守将都主动打开城门迎接起义军。秦朝的统治岌岌可危。这其中的原因，除了秦朝的暴政和残暴统治外，也与秦朝军队内部的腐败和士兵的意志消沉有很大关系。许多秦军士兵已经对秦朝失去了信心，当他们看到起义军到来时，非但没有抵抗，反而纷纷放下武器，投降起义军。然而，起义军最终失败了，这其中有多方面原因。但望风而降的现象，在当时确实广泛存在，也成为当时战争的一个显著特征。
In 209 BC, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang's uprising marked the beginning of the peasant uprising at the end of the Qin Dynasty. For a time, many places responded in succession, raising troops to oppose the Qin. The rebel army was unstoppable, and wherever it went, many cities surrendered without a fight, and even the commanders opened the city gates to welcome the rebel army. The rule of the Qin Dynasty was in jeopardy. In addition to the tyranny and brutal rule of the Qin Dynasty, this was also largely due to corruption within the Qin army and the low morale of the soldiers. Many Qin soldiers had lost faith in the Qin Dynasty, and when they saw the arrival of the rebel army, they not only refused to fight but also laid down their arms and surrendered to the rebel army. However, the rebel army ultimately failed for various reasons. However, the phenomenon of surrendering at the sight of the enemy was widespread at the time and became a significant characteristic of the war.
Usage
望风而降通常用于形容军队或群体在面对强大的敌人或困难时，缺乏斗志，轻易放弃抵抗，投降或屈服。
Wàngfēng'érjiàng is typically used to describe an army or group that lacks fighting spirit and easily gives up resistance, surrenders, or yields when facing a powerful enemy or difficulty.
Examples
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面对强大的敌人，他们竟然望风而降，令人失望至极。
miàn duì qiáng dà de dí rén, tāmen jìng rán wàng fēng ér jiàng, lìng rén shī wàng zhì jí
Faced with a powerful enemy, they unexpectedly surrendered, which was extremely disappointing.
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听到敌军来犯的消息，守城的士兵们望风而降，城池不战而失。
tīng dào dí jūn lái fàn de xiāoxi, shǒu chéng de shìbīng men wàng fēng ér jiàng, chéng chí bù zhàn ér shī
Upon hearing the news of the enemy's attack, the soldiers guarding the city surrendered, and the city fell without a fight.
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创业初期，公司面临资金链断裂的风险，一些投资者望风而降，撤回了投资。
chuàngyè chūqī, gōngsī miàn lín zījīn liàn duàn liè de fēngxiǎn, yīxiē tóuzī zhě wàng fēng ér jiàng, chè huí le tóuzī
In the early stages of its development, the company faced the risk of a broken capital chain. Some investors gave up and withdrew their investment.
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小明考试遇到难题，望风而降，放弃了思考。
xiǎo míng kǎoshì yùdào nán tí, wàng fēng ér jiàng, fàng qì le sīkǎo
Ming encountered difficulties in the exam and gave up without further thinking.
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面对突如其来的变故，他有些慌乱，甚至出现了望风而降的念头，但很快调整心态，积极应对。
miàn duì tūrú'ér lái de biàngù, tā yǒuxiē huāngluàn, shènzhì chūxiàn le wàng fēng ér jiàng de niàn tou, dàn kuài diào zhěng xīn tài, jījí yìngduì
In the face of sudden changes, he was somewhat flustered and even had the idea of giving up, but he quickly adjusted his mentality and responded positively.