鸡犬不宁 neither chickens nor dogs at peace
Explanation
形容非常混乱不安的景象，到处都是骚乱，没有安宁。
Describes a very chaotic and restless scene, with disorder everywhere and no peace.
Origin Story
话说唐朝贞元时期，有个叫柳宗元的诗人被贬官到偏远落后的永州。他去到永州后，发现百姓生活困苦，常常受到官府的压迫和剥削，导致民不聊生，社会动荡不安。贪官污吏横行霸道，百姓告状无门，家家户户都生活在恐惧之中，许多人为了生活不得不铤而走险，以至于整个永州都处于鸡犬不宁的状态。柳宗元亲眼目睹了这一切，内心感到非常痛心疾首，于是写下了著名的散文《捕蛇者说》，深刻地揭露了当时社会的黑暗和不公，表达了他对百姓的同情和对社会现实的批判。
In the Tang dynasty, during the reign of Zhenyuan, a poet named Liu Zongyuan was demoted to the remote and backward Yongzhou. After arriving in Yongzhou, he found that the people lived in poverty and were often oppressed and exploited by the government, leading to suffering and social unrest. Corrupt officials acted arbitrarily, the people could not defend themselves, and every household lived in fear. Many people had to resort to risky actions to make a living, to the point that the entire Yongzhou was in a state of unrest. Liu Zongyuan witnessed all this and was deeply saddened, so he wrote the famous essay "On the Snake Catcher", which revealed the darkness and injustice of society at that time and expressed his sympathy for the people and his criticism of social reality.
Usage
多用于形容社会动荡不安的局面。
Mostly used to describe a turbulent and unstable social situation.
Examples
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战乱时期，百姓流离失所，家家户户鸡犬不宁。
zhànluàn shíqí, bǎixìng liúlí shǐsuǒ, jiājiā hùhù jīquǎn bù níng
During wartime, people were displaced, and every household was in turmoil.
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官府的搜查使得村庄鸡犬不宁，人心惶惶。
guǎnfǔ de sōuchá shǐde cūnzhuāng jīquǎn bù níng, rénxīn huánghuáng
The search by the authorities caused unrest and fear in the village