猖獗一时 rampant for a while
Explanation
猖獗一时指的是坏人或者反动势力在一段时间内非常凶猛、放肆。
“Chāngjué yīshí” refers to bad people or reactionary forces being extremely ferocious and unrestrained for a period of time.
Origin Story
话说在唐朝末年，黄巢起义军势如破竹，迅速席卷了半个中原。他们攻城略地，烧杀抢掠，一时间，百姓流离失所，生灵涂炭。黄巢起义军猖獗一时，其残暴行径令人发指。他们所到之处，鸡犬不宁，甚至一些地方官员也闻风丧胆，纷纷逃窜。然而，历史的车轮滚滚向前，黄巢起义军最终也未能逃脱覆灭的命运。他们的猖獗仅仅是一时的，最终还是被强大的唐朝军队镇压了下去，这再次证明了邪不压正的真理。虽然起义军猖獗一时，给人民带来了巨大的灾难，但也反映了当时社会矛盾的激化，以及人民渴望改变现状的强烈愿望。
In the late Tang Dynasty, Huang Chao's rebel army swept across half of central China like a bamboo shoot. They attacked cities and villages, burning, killing, and looting. For a time, the people were displaced and suffered greatly. Huang Chao's rebel army was rampant for a while, their brutal acts appalling. Wherever they went, there was chaos, and even some local officials fled in fear. However, the wheel of history rolled forward, and Huang Chao's rebel army ultimately met its doom. Their dominance was temporary and they were finally suppressed by the powerful Tang army. It proved once again that evil cannot conquer good. While the rebel army was rampant for a while, causing great suffering to the people, it also reflected the intensification of social contradictions and the people's strong desire for change.
Usage
形容坏人或反动势力一时间非常凶猛、放肆。常用来形容某一事物在某个阶段的盛行，但最终会消亡。
Describes bad people or reactionary forces being extremely ferocious and unrestrained for a period of time. Often used to describe the prevalence of something in a certain stage, but eventually it will disappear.
Examples
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这伙强盗猖獗一时，横行霸道，无恶不作。
zhè huǒ qiángdào chāngjué yīshí, héngxíng bàdào, wú'è bù zuò
This gang of robbers was rampant for a while, acting tyrannically and doing all kinds of evil.
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在那个动荡的年代，各种邪恶势力猖獗一时。
zài nàgè dòngdàng de niándài, gè zhǒng xié'è shìlì chāngjué yīshí
In that turbulent era, various evil forces were rampant for a while