运筹帷幄 yùnchóu wéiwò Plan and strategize

Explanation

运筹帷幄指在幕后筹划策略，指挥作战。现在多用来形容在工作中事先做好计划，有条不紊地进行。

运筹帷幄 means to plan strategies and direct battles behind the scenes. Now it is often used to describe making plans in advance and proceeding in an orderly manner at work.

Origin Story

话说汉高祖刘邦，在夺取天下之后，在洛阳南宫设宴款待众臣。席间，刘邦问道：‘诸位爱卿，你们说我和项羽相比，究竟有何不同？’群臣纷纷赞扬刘邦仁义，刘邦摆摆手说：‘运筹帷幄之中，决胜千里之外，我不如张良；安抚百姓，安定社稷，我不如萧何；率兵打仗，攻城略地，我不如韩信。但我能用这三人，所以得天下。’刘邦此言，可谓是千古名言，道出了他成功的重要原因：善于用人。虽然他自己并非在各个方面都是最优秀的，但他却懂得如何利用身边的人才，发挥他们的长处，最终成就了一番伟业。这正体现了‘运筹帷幄’的精髓：在战略层面高瞻远瞩，统筹全局，并能将战略转化为有效的战术，最终取得胜利。

huàshuō Hàn Gāozǔ Liúbāng, zài duóqǔ tiānxià zhīhòu, zài Luòyáng Nángōng shèyàn kuǎndài zhòng chén. Xíjiān, Liúbāng wèndào: 'zhū wèi àiqīng, nǐmen shuō wǒ hé Xiàng Yǔ xiāngbǐ, jiūjìng yǒu hé bùtóng?' Qúnchén fēnfēn zànyáng Liúbāng rényì, Liúbāng bài bǎishǒu shuō: 'yùnchóu wéiwò zhī zhōng, juéshèng qiānlǐ zhī wài, wǒ bùrú Zhāng Liáng; ānfǔ bǎixìng, āndìng shèjì, wǒ bùrú Xiāo Hé; shuài bīng dǎzhàng, gōngchéng lüèdì, wǒ bùrú Hán Xīn. Dàn wǒ néng yòng zhè sān rén, suǒyǐ dé tiānxià.' Liúbāng cǐ yán, kěwèi shì qiānguǐ míngyán, dàochū le tā chénggōng de zhòngyào yuányīn: shànyú yòng rén. Suīrán tā zìjǐ bìngfēi zài gège fāngmiàn dōu shì zuì yōuxiù de, dàn tā què dǒngde rúhé lìyòng shēnbiān de réncái, fāhuī tāmen de chángchù, zuìzhōng chéngjiù le yīfān wěiyè. Zhè zhèng tǐxiàn le 'yùnchóu wéiwò' de jīngsú: zài zhànlüè céngmiàn gāozhān yuǎnzhǔ, tǒngchóu quánjú, bìng néng jiāng zhànlüè zhuǎnhuà wéi yǒuxiào de zhànshù, zuìzhōng qǔdé shènglì.

It is said that Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang, after seizing the empire, held a banquet in Luoyang to entertain his ministers. During the banquet, Liu Bang asked: 'My dear ministers, what is the difference between me and Xiang Yu?' The ministers praised Liu Bang for his kindness and righteousness. Liu Bang waved his hand and said: 'Planning strategies and deciding victory from afar, I am not as good as Zhang Liang; appeasing the people and stabilizing the state, I am not as good as Xiao He; leading troops to fight, attacking cities and expanding territories, I am not as good as Han Xin. But I could use these three men, so I got the world.' Liu Bang's words were and are a wise saying that reveals the main reason for his success: the ability to use the right people. Although he himself was not the best in all areas, he understood how to use the talents around him, to play their strengths and ultimately achieve a great cause. This reflects the essence of '运筹帷幄': to think foresightedly from a strategic perspective, to have a bird's-eye view of the whole situation and to be able to translate strategy into effective tactics, ultimately achieving victory.

Usage

形容在幕后筹划，指挥全局，也用来形容有计划，有条理地做事。

xiáorong zài mùhòu chóuhuà, zhǐhuī quánjú, yě yòng lái xiáorong yǒu jìhuà, yǒutiáolǐ de zuòshì

describes secret planning and the management of the overall situation, also used to describe planned and orderly actions.

Examples

• 他运筹帷幄，决胜千里。

  tā yùnchóu wéiwò, juéshèng qiānlǐ

  He planned the battle strategically and won the decisive battle.

• 这场战役的胜利，得益于他的运筹帷幄。

  zhè chǎng zhànyì de shènglì, déyì yú tā de yùnchóu wéiwò

  The victory in this battle was due to his clever strategic plan.

Related Idioms

• 运筹

• 决策

• 谋略

Opposite Idioms

• 临阵磨枪

• 仓促应战