Meaning of the Idiom
yi gu zuo qi
During the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476BC) , the State of Qi launched an attack against the State of Lu.
Qi was much stronger than Lu. The King of Lu led the army by himself. The two parties met at a place named Chang Shao.
When the King of Lu prepared to start the offensive, Cao Gui, his general, stopped him and said: “Wait a moment! The time has not come.” Then they came to a high stage to observe the battle formation of the Qi’s army. At this time, they heard the sounds of drumming and saw the Qi’s army charging head-on. The King of Lu wanted to rebut the charge but Cao Gui stopped him again. After a while, the Qi’s charged for the second time. But the Lu’s took no action. The Qi soldiers’ morale lowered after two vain attempts. After the third vain advance attack, the morale greatly declined. The soldiers were so tired that they sat down to rest. “Now, our chance has come!” said the general. Then the Lu’s army attacked the enemy bravely. The Qi army fled helter-skelter. At last the Lu has won the battle.
Originally, the idiom means “The fighting strength in the first drums is the highest.” Later, it has been used to say “to press on to the finish without letup”.
一鼓作气
yī gǔ zuò qì，比喻趁劲头大的时候鼓起干劲，一口气把工作做完。
出自《左传·庄公十年》。
例句
大家一鼓作气，很快就把剩余的工作全部做完了。
同学们！且让我们一鼓作气攻上山顶。
做这种事就要一鼓作气，拖三阻四，难有成就。
Reading The Paragraphs!
Meaning of Words
| 词语 | 华文解释 | 英文解释 |
|---|---|---|
| 率兵 | 指带领、统领士兵。 例句：刘邦听从了萧何的计策，立即率兵从褒斜道进入汉中，并烧了栈道。 | lead troops |
| 决一死战 | 意思是同敌人作一次你死我活的战斗。 例句：十字军和土耳其帝国的战士们都汇聚在耶路撒冷城下，似乎准备为他们的宗教矛盾决一死战。 | burn one’s boats |
| 先声夺人 | 意思是指先张扬自己的声势以压倒对方；也比喻做事抢先一步。 例句：他初次参加今年的拳击比赛就先声夺人，以15场全胜的记录遥遥领先。 | to forestall one’s opponent by a show of strength |
| 应战 | 意思为与前来进犯的敌人作战；或接受对方的挑战条件。 例句：面对敌兵的突然进攻，将军只好仓促应战。 | face a challenge face an attack and meet it. |
| 时机 | 意思是具有时间性的客观条件，即机会。 例句：他敏锐的发现政策开始转向，现在不是资金投入最有利的时机。 | opportunity |
| 按兵不动 | 意思是使军队暂不行动。现也比喻暂不开展工作。 例句：我们所需要做的是按兵不动，看看他们采取什么步骤。 | to halt the troops and wait |
| 挑衅（xìn） | 指借端生事，企图引起冲突或战争。 例句：对于他的挑衅，我毫不示弱、积极应对。 | provoke |
| 当机立断 | 意思是在紧要时刻立即做出决断。 例句：船长一看漏水无法堵住，当机立断地宣布弃船。 | make a prompt decision |
| 摩拳擦掌 | 意思是形容战斗或劳动之前，人们精神振奋、跃跃欲试的样子。 例句：马上就要上场了，队员们个个摩拳擦掌，准备来一场空前的战斗。 | rub one’s fists and wipe one’s palms — to be eager for a fight |
| 奋勇 | 释义为鼓起勇气。 例句：只有不畏艰险、奋勇攀登的人，才有希望达到光辉的顶点。 | courageously |
| 士气大减 | 士气是维持意志行为的具有积极主动性的动机，外在表现为勇气、耐心等心理状态，士气大减是指士气急剧减少。 例句：这次战役的失利使法军士气大减，拿破仑决定暂缓进攻。 | discouraged |
| 猝（cù）不及防 | 形容事情来得突然，来不及防备。 例句：妻子的意外事故让他猝不及防，全部生活都被打乱。 | be taken by surprise |
| 溃不成军 | 意思是被打得零七八落，不成队伍；形容惨败。 例句：敌人被我们打得溃不成军。 | retreat |
| 松懈（xiè） | 意思是放松懈怠。 例句：虽然老板没来办公，大家可是也并不敢松懈一点。 | loose |
Daily Language 