闻风而逃 flee at the sound of wind
Explanation
听到风声就逃跑，形容不抵抗，缺乏战斗力的样子。
To flee at the sound of wind; describes the lack of resistance and fighting spirit.
Origin Story
话说唐朝时期，边境小城经常受到外族侵略，百姓苦不堪言。一日，探子来报，说敌军浩浩荡荡杀来，城中百姓闻讯，顿时人心惶惶。城防军士气低落，纷纷准备逃离。一位老将军站出来，厉声说道："大丈夫生于天地间，岂可贪生怕死，闻风而逃！"他带领士兵奋勇杀敌，最终击退了入侵者，保卫了城池。而那些闻风而逃的士兵，则受到严厉的惩罚，成为了后世的笑柄。从此以后，闻风而逃就成了胆小怕事、不战而逃的代名词。
During the Tang Dynasty, a border town was frequently invaded by foreign tribes, causing great suffering to the people. One day, a scout reported that a large enemy army was attacking. The townspeople were panicked. The city defense troops were demoralized and prepared to flee. An old general stepped forward and shouted: "A true man born between heaven and earth should not be greedy for life and fear death, fleeing at the rumor!" He led the soldiers to bravely fight the enemy and finally repelled the invaders, defending the city. The soldiers who fled were severely punished and became the laughingstock of later generations. From then on, "fleeing at the sound of wind" became a synonym for cowardice and escape without fighting.
Usage
形容军队或个人缺乏战斗力，遇到危险就逃跑。
Describes the lack of fighting capacity of armies or individuals who flee when danger arises.
Examples
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面对强敌，他们闻风而逃。
mian dui qiangdi, tamen wen feng er tao. ting dao jingbao sheng, da jia wen feng er tao, duo bi zai nan
Faced with a strong enemy, they fled in terror.
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听到警报声，大家闻风而逃，躲避灾难。
Hearing the alarm, everyone fled to avoid disaster.