积谷防饥 Store grain to prevent hunger
Explanation
指储存粮食，以防备饥荒。比喻要做好充分的准备，以应对可能发生的困难或灾害。
It means storing food to prevent famine. It is a metaphor for making sufficient preparations to cope with potential difficulties or disasters.
Origin Story
很久以前，在一个偏僻的小村庄里，住着一位名叫李老汉的老人。他一生勤劳节俭，每年秋收后，都会将多余的粮食储存在地窖里。村里其他人觉得他过于谨慎，认为粮食足够吃就行了，何必如此费力储存呢？他们常常挥霍浪费，吃光了就再想办法，从未想过储存。 然而，第二年，一场突如其来的旱灾席卷了整个村庄，田地干涸，颗粒无收。村民们陷入了饥饿的困境，许多人甚至饿得无力劳动。而李老汉，凭借着之前储存的大量粮食，不仅自己吃饱了，还帮助了许多邻居渡过难关。他家的地窖成了村里最后的希望和温暖的港湾。 这次旱灾，让村民们深刻地认识到积谷防饥的重要性。他们纷纷效仿李老汉，开始储存粮食，不再盲目乐观，而是积极应对未来的不确定性。从此，这个村庄再也没有因为饥荒而遭受重创。李老汉的故事，也一代代地流传下去，成为了村里人引以为戒的教训，教导后人要居安思危，未雨绸缪。
Long ago, in a remote village, lived an old man named Li Laohan. He was hardworking and thrifty all his life, and after each autumn harvest, he would store the surplus food in his cellar. Others in the village thought he was too cautious, believing that enough food was enough to eat, why bother storing it? They often squandered and wasted, and when they ran out, they would find a way, never thinking about storing it. However, the following year, a sudden drought swept across the entire village, the fields dried up, and the harvest failed. The villagers were plunged into the plight of hunger, and many were even too weak to work. Li Laohan, however, thanks to the large amount of food he had stored before, not only had enough to eat himself, but also helped many neighbors overcome the difficulties. His cellar became the last hope and warm haven of the village. This drought made the villagers deeply realize the importance of storing grain to prevent hunger. They followed Li Laohan's example, began to store food, were no longer blindly optimistic, but actively responded to the uncertainties of the future. From then on, the village was never again severely affected by famine. The story of Li Laohan was passed down from generation to generation and became a lesson for the villagers to learn from, teaching later generations to be prepared for danger in times of peace and to prepare for the future.
Usage
常用作宾语；指储存粮食，防备饥荒。也比喻为未来做好充分的准备。
Often used as an object; refers to storing food to prevent famine. It also metaphorically refers to being well-prepared for the future.
Examples
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为了应对未来的挑战，我们必须积谷防饥，未雨绸缪。
wèile yingduì wèilái de tiǎozhàn, wǒmen bìxū jīgǔ fángjī, wèiyǔchóumiù
To meet future challenges, we must store up grain and be prepared for emergencies.
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俗话说得好：‘积谷防饥，养儿防老。’
súhuà shuō de hǎo: ‘jīgǔ fángjī, yǎng ér fáng lǎo’
As the saying goes: 'Store up grain to prevent hunger, raise children to prevent old age'.