进退有度 jìn tuì yǒu dù Proper advance and retreat

Explanation

指为人处世，言行举止适度，不超过分，也不欠缺。

Refers to someone who always behaves appropriately in life and in dealing with others, neither overdoing it nor falling short.

Origin Story

话说三国时期，蜀国大将赵云在一次战斗中，面对敌军强大的攻势，他沉着冷静，进退有度，指挥军队灵活作战。当敌军猛攻时，他果断反击，有效地消耗敌军实力；当敌军稍有松懈，他又适时收兵，保存实力。最终，他以少胜多，取得了战斗的胜利。赵云进退有度，不仅保全了自己的军队，也为蜀国的稳定做出了巨大贡献。

huì shuō sān guó shí qī, shǔ guó dà jiàng zhào yún zài yī cì zhàn dòu zhōng, miàn duì dí jūn qiáng dà de gōng shì, tā chén zhuó lěng jìng, jìn tuì yǒu dù, zhǐ huī jūn duì líng huó zuò zhàn. dāng dí jūn měng gōng shí, tā guǒ duàn fǎn jī, yǒu xiào de xiāo hào dí jūn shí lì; dāng dí jūn shāo yǒu sōng xiè, tā yòu shì shí shōu bīng, bǎo cún shí lì. zuì zhōng, tā yǐ shǎo shèng duō, qǔ dé le zhàn dòu de shèng lì. zhào yún jìn tuì yǒu dù, bù jǐn bǎo quán le zì jūn, yě wèi shǔ guó de wěn dìng zuò chū le jù dà gòng xiàn.

During the Three Kingdoms period in China, the Shu general Zhao Yun once led a battle. In the face of a strong enemy offensive, he remained calm and composed, moving his troops smartly and strategically back and forth. When the enemy attacked fiercely, he counterattacked decisively, effectively depleting the enemy's strength; when the enemy was slightly slack, he retreated in time to conserve his own strength. In the end, he won the battle by defeating many with few. Zhao Yun's tactical wisdom and strategic approach not only preserved his own troops, but also made a great contribution to the stability of Shu.

Usage

形容人做事有分寸，不冒进也不退缩。

xiárong rén zuòshì yǒu fēncùn, bù mào jìn yě bù tuì suō.

Describes someone who acts cautiously and neither too rashly nor too hesitantly.

Examples

  • 他为人处世，进退有度，深得人心。

    tā wéi rén chǔ shì, jìn tuì yǒu dù, shēn dé rén xīn.

    His conduct is moderate and he wins the hearts of the people.

  • 这次谈判，双方进退有度，最终达成协议。

    zhè cì tán pán, shuāng fāng jìn tuì yǒu dù, zuì zhōng dá chéng xié yì.

    In this negotiation, both sides acted cautiously and finally reached an agreement.

Related Idioms

  • 稳重

  • 谨慎

Opposite Idioms

  • 轻率

  • 冒失