练兵秣马 liàn bīng mò mǎ Train soldiers and feed horses

Explanation

训练士兵，喂饱战马。指作好战斗准备。比喻做好充分的准备，以应对即将到来的挑战或战争。

Train soldiers and feed war horses. It means to prepare for battle. It is a metaphor for making full preparations to deal with the upcoming challenges or war.

Origin Story

话说公元前209年，陈胜吴广起义，秦朝大势已去，各地豪杰纷纷揭竿而起。项羽是当时楚国的贵族后裔，他深知想要恢复楚国的霸业，必须做好万全的准备。于是，项羽一面招兵买马，扩大队伍，一面刻苦训练士兵，还特别注重战马的饲养，确保每一匹战马都膘肥体壮，能够在战场上奋勇作战。他亲自指导士兵练习各种作战技能，例如骑射、步战、攻城等，严格要求，一丝不苟。经过几个月的艰苦训练，项羽的军队战斗力得到了极大的提升，士兵们个个英勇善战，战马也膘肥体壮，充满力量。最终，项羽凭借着这支强大的军队，在楚汉相争中取得了辉煌的胜利。练兵秣马的故事也因此流传至今，成为后人学习的典范。

huàshuō gōngyuán qián 209 nián, chén shèng wú guǎng qǐyì, qín cháo dàshì yǐ qù, gèdì háojié fēnfēn jiē gān ér qǐ. xiàng yǔ shì dāngshí chǔ guó de guìzú hòuyì, tā shēnzhī xiǎng yào huīfù chǔ guó de bà yè, bìxū zuò hǎo wàn quán de zhǔnbèi. yúshì, xiàng yǔ yīmiàn zhāobīng mǎi mǎ, kuòdà duìwu, yīmiàn kèkǔ xùnliàn bīngshì, hái tèbié zhòngshì zhàn mǎ de sìyǎng, quèbǎo měi yī pǐ zhàn mǎ dōu biāo féi tǐ zhuàng, nénggòu zài zhànchǎng shàng fènyǒng zuòzhàn. tā qīnzì zhǐdǎo bīngshì liànxí gè zhǒng zuòzhàn jìnéng, lìrú qí shè, bù zhàn, gōng chéng děng, yángé yāoqiú, yīsī bù gǒu. jīngguò jǐ gè yuè de jiānkǔ xùnliàn, xiàng yǔ de jūnduì zhàndòuli dédào le jí dà de tíshēng, bīngshìmen gègè yīngyǒng shànzhàn, zhàn mǎ yě biāo féi tǐ zhuàng, chōngmǎn lìliang. zuìzhōng, xiàng yǔ píngjièzhe zhè zhī qiángdà de jūnduì, zài chǔ hàn xiāngzhēng zhōng qǔdé le huīhuáng de shènglì. liàn bīng mò mǎ de gùshì yě yīncǐ liúchuán zhìjīn, chéngwéi hòurén xuéxí de diǎnfàn.

In 209 BC, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang launched their rebellion, the Qin Dynasty was on the verge of collapse, and heroes rose up everywhere. Xiang Yu was a descendant of a noble family in Chu. He knew that to restore Chu's hegemony, he must make thorough preparations. Therefore, Xiang Yu recruited soldiers, expanded his army, diligently trained soldiers, and paid particular attention to the care of warhorses, ensuring that every horse was fat and strong enough to fight bravely on the battlefield. He personally guided soldiers to practice various combat skills, such as horsemanship and archery, infantry combat, and siege warfare, with strict demands and no negligence. After months of arduous training, the combat effectiveness of Xiang Yu's army was greatly enhanced. The soldiers were brave and the warhorses were plump and powerful. Finally, Xiang Yu, with this powerful army, won a glorious victory in the Chu-Han contention. The story of Xiang Yu's military training has been passed down to this day, serving as a model for future generations.

Usage

通常用作谓语，形容做好充分的准备。

tōngcháng yòng zuò wèiyǔ, xíngróng zuò hǎo chōngfèn de zhǔnbèi.

It is usually used as a predicate to describe making full preparations.

Examples

• 为了应对即将到来的战争，将军下令全军练兵秣马，做好充分的准备。

  wèile yingduì jíjiāng dàolái de zhànzhēng, jiāngjūn xiàlìng quánjūn liàn bīng mò mǎ, zuò hǎo chōngfèn de zhǔnbèi.

  To cope with the upcoming war, the general ordered the whole army to train soldiers and feed horses, making full preparations.

• 公司面临重大挑战，必须练兵秣马，提升团队实力。

  gōngsī miànlín zhòngdà tiǎozhàn, bìxū liàn bīng mò mǎ, tíshēng tuánduì shíli.

  The company is facing major challenges and must train and strengthen its employees to improve team capabilities.

Related Idioms

• 厉兵秣马

• 枕戈待旦

Opposite Idioms

• 麻痹大意

• 掉以轻心