置之死地 Put to death
Explanation
比喻故意使敌人处于绝境，以求战胜。也指不顾一切地冒险求生。
A metaphor for deliberately putting the enemy in a desperate situation in order to win. It also refers to taking any risk to survive.
Origin Story
西汉时期，韩信率军与赵军对峙。赵军占据地理优势，韩信却故意选择在狭窄的河谷摆开阵势，后军背靠河水，形成“置之死地”的态势。此举看似冒险，实则激发了士兵的斗志，他们奋勇杀敌，最终取得了井陉之战的胜利。这正是“置之死地而后生”的绝妙体现。韩信利用此计，将赵军置于死地，而汉军却因此反败为胜，这在军事史上留下了浓墨重彩的一笔。从此，“置之死地而后生”被广泛应用于军事战略，更被引申为在困境中突破自我的精神写照。
During the Western Han Dynasty, Han Xin's army confronted the Zhao army. The Zhao army occupied a geographical advantage, but Han Xin deliberately chose to deploy his army in a narrow valley, with the rear army backed by the river, creating a situation of "putting to death". This move seemed risky, but it inspired the soldiers' fighting spirit, and they fought bravely, eventually winning the Battle of Jìngxíng. This is a wonderful embodiment of "putting oneself to death and then being reborn". Han Xin used this strategy to put the Zhao army to death, and the Han army thus turned defeat into victory, leaving a strong mark on military history. Since then, "putting to death and then being reborn" has been widely used in military strategy, and has also been extended to a metaphor for overcoming personal difficulties.
Usage
多用于军事策略或比喻困境中求生的场景。
Often used in military strategy or as a metaphor for survival in difficult situations.
Examples
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他决定孤注一掷，置之死地而后生。
ta jueding guzhu yizhi,zhi zhi si di er hou sheng.
He decided to go for broke and put himself in a desperate situation to survive.
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公司面临困境，唯有置之死地而后生，才能走出困境。
gongsi mianlin kunju,weiyou zhi zhi si di er hou sheng,caineng zou chu kunju
The company is facing difficulties, only by putting itself in a desperate situation can it get out of the difficulties.