落花流水 Falling flowers and flowing water
Explanation
落花流水,原形容暮春景色衰败,后常用来比喻被打得大败,形容失败得很彻底。
Originally describing the withering beauty of late spring, symbolized by falling flowers and flowing water, the idiom now often refers to a complete defeat, emphasizing the thoroughness of the failure.
Origin Story
战国时期,齐国军队与楚国军队在城下激战。齐军战败,溃不成军,士兵们四散逃命。楚军乘胜追击,齐军一路败退,如同落花流水一般,毫无抵抗之力。最终,齐军大败,主帅也被俘,楚军取得了这场战争的胜利。
During the Warring States period, the armies of Qi and Chu clashed fiercely under the city walls. The Qi army was defeated, and its soldiers fled in all directions. The Chu army took advantage of the victory to pursue, and the Qi army retreated all the way, like falling flowers and flowing water, with no power to resist. In the end, the Qi army was defeated, its commander was captured, and the Chu army won the war.
Usage
落花流水常用来形容彻底的失败,例如,考试失败,比赛失利等等。
The idiom is often used to describe a complete defeat, such as failing an exam or losing a competition.
Examples
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这场比赛,他们真是落花流水,毫无还手之力。
zhè chǎng bǐ sài, tā men zhēn shì luò huā liú shuǐ, háo wú huán shǒu zhī lì.
They were completely defeated in this match, with no chance of fighting back.
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他这次考试失误,成绩落花流水,真是让人惋惜。
tā zhè cì kǎo shì shī wù, chéng jī luò huā liú shuǐ, zhēn shì ràng rén wǎn xī.
He failed the exam miserably, his results are terrible, which is a pity.