水深火热 shuǐ shēn huǒ rè Water deep and fire hot

Explanation

水深火热是一个成语，形容百姓生活极其痛苦，处在极度困苦的境地。它源于《孟子·梁惠王下》中的一句话：‘如水益深，如火益热，亦运而已矣。’这句话的意思是说，水越来越深，火越来越热，都是命运使然。孟子用这个比喻来形容百姓生活在苦难之中，就像陷入水火一样难以逃脱。

Water deep and fire hot is an idiom that describes the extreme suffering of the people, who are in a very difficult situation. It comes from a sentence in the book 'Mengzi·Liang Hui Wang Xia': ''The deeper the water, the hotter the fire, it is the destiny.'' This means that the water gets deeper and the fire gets hotter, it is all fate.

Origin Story

战国时期，燕国由于相国子之暴政，大将子被、太子平率兵讨伐被打败，国内大乱。齐国齐宣王趁机出兵攻打燕国，燕国老百姓欢迎齐军，齐宣王侵吞了燕国后问孟子为什么燕国老百姓欢迎齐军，孟子说：“老百姓为了摆脱水深火热的局面。

zhàn guó shí qī, yān guó yóu yú xiāng guó zǐ zhī bào zhèng, dà jiàng zǐ bèi, tài zǐ píng shuài bīng tǎo fá bèi dǎ bài, guó nèi dà luàn. qí guó qí xuān wáng chèn jī chū bīng gōng dǎ yān guó, yān guó lǎo bǎi xìng huānyíng qí jūn, qí xuān wáng qīn tūn le yān guó hòu wèn mèng zǐ wèi shén me yān guó lǎo bǎi xìng huānyíng qí jūn, mèng zǐ shuō : “lǎo bǎi xìng wèi le biǎo tuō shuǐ shēn huǒ rè de jú miàn.

During the Warring States period, the state of Yan was in turmoil due to the tyrannical rule of the Minister Zi. The general Zibei and the Crown Prince Ping led troops to suppress the rebellion but were defeated. The King Xuan of Qi took the opportunity to attack Yan, and the people of Yan welcomed the army of Qi. After King Xuan conquered Yan, he asked Mencius why the people of Yan welcomed the army of Qi. Mencius replied:

Usage

水深火热这个成语，可以用在很多场合，例如：当人民生活困苦的时候，我们可以说他们生活在水深火热之中。当国家处于战乱的时候，我们也可以说这个国家陷入水深火热。

shuǐ shēn huǒ rè zhè ge chéng yǔ, kě yǐ yòng zài hěn duō chǎng hé, lì rú: dāng rén mín shēng huó kùn kǔ de shí hòu, wǒ men kě yǐ shuō tā men shēng huó zài shuǐ shēn huǒ rè zhī zhōng. dāng guó jiā chǔ yú zhàn luàn de shí hòu, wǒ men yě kě yǐ shuō zhè ge guó jiā xiàn rù shuǐ shēn huǒ rè.

The idiom Water deep and fire hot can be used in many situations, for example: When the people are suffering, we can say that they are living in water deep and fire hot. When a country is at war, we can also say that the country is in water deep and fire hot.

Examples

• 他们把国家治理得民不聊生，老百姓真是生活在水深火热之中。

  tā men bǎ guó jiā zhì lǐ de mín bù liáo shēng, lǎo bǎi xìng zhēn shì shēng huó zài shuǐ shēn huǒ rè zhī zhōng.

  They governed the country so poorly that the people were suffering.

• 这场灾难让人民陷入水深火热，政府必须及时采取措施救助灾民。

  zhè chǎng zāi nàn ràng rén mín xiàn rù shuǐ shēn huǒ rè, zhèng fǔ bì xū jí shí cǎi qǔ cuò shī jiù zhù zāi mín.

  This disaster has plunged the people into dire straits, and the government must take immediate action to help the victims.

• 这个项目失败了，我们现在陷入了水深火热的境地。

  zhè ge xiàng mù shī bài le, wǒ men xiàn zài xiàn rù le shuǐ shēn huǒ rè de jìng dì.

  This project has failed and we are now in a difficult situation.

• 战争让这个国家陷入水深火热，人民饱受战火的摧残。

  zhàn zhēng ràng zhè ge guó jiā xiàn rù shuǐ shēn huǒ rè, rén mín bǎo shòu zhàn huǒ de cuī cán.

  The war has plunged the country into misery, and the people are suffering from the ravages of war.

Related Idioms

• 民不聊生

• 水火之中

• 苦不堪言

• 生灵涂炭

Opposite Idioms

• 安居乐业

• 国泰民安

• 太平盛世

• 丰衣足食