趁热打铁 Strike while the iron is hot
Explanation
比喻要抓住有利的时机和条件去做事。
It means to seize a favorable opportunity to do something.
Origin Story
话说很久以前，在一个古老的村庄里，住着一位名叫铁匠的老铁匠。他以精湛的技艺和勤劳闻名，他打制的农具远近驰名。一天，村长找到老铁匠，请他帮忙打造一把新的铁犁，因为村里旧的铁犁已经损坏不堪。老铁匠答应了村长的请求，他先将铁块放到炉子里烧得通红。当铁块烧得正热时，老铁匠拿起铁锤，趁热打铁，用力地敲打着铁块，铁块在老铁匠熟练的技艺下，慢慢地变成了形状规整，坚固耐用的铁犁。老铁匠打造铁犁的故事，在村子里传为佳话，人们常常用"趁热打铁"来比喻做事要抓紧有利时机，不要错过最佳时机。
Once upon a time, in an ancient village, there lived a blacksmith named Lao Tiejiang. He was known for his superb craftsmanship and diligence, his tools were famous far and wide. One day, the village chief came to Lao Tiejiang and asked him to make a new iron plow, because the village's old plow had been damaged beyond repair. Lao Tiejiang agreed to the village chief's request. He first put the iron block in the furnace until it was red-hot. When the iron block was red-hot, Lao Tiejiang took up his hammer and, seizing the moment, struck the iron block with force. Under Lao Tiejiang's skilled craftsmanship, the iron block slowly transformed into a well-shaped, sturdy and durable iron plow. The story of Lao Tiejiang forging the iron plow became a legend in the village, and people often use "chèn rè dǎ tiě" to illustrate that doing things requires seizing the favorable opportunity and not missing the best opportunity.
Usage
比喻要抓住有利的时机和条件去做事。常用作谓语、宾语、状语。
It is used to illustrate that one should seize the favorable opportunity.
Examples
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机会来了，我们必须趁热打铁，争取早日完成任务。
jīhuì lái le, wǒmen bìxū chèn rè dǎ tiě, zhēngqǔ zǎorì wánchéng rènwu
With the opportunity at hand, we must seize the moment and strive to complete the task as soon as possible.
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这次考试我准备充分，一定要趁热打铁，争取考个好成绩。
zhè cì kǎoshì wǒ zhǔnbèi chōngfèn, yīdìng yào chèn rè dǎ tiě, zhēngqǔ kǎo gè hǎo chéngjī
I've prepared well for this exam and must strike while the iron is hot to get a good grade.