Breaking Pots and Sinking Boats

HSK 5 · 301 characters · Chinese Idioms

Story behind the idiom: 破釜沉舟 - to break the cauldrons and sink the boats.

很久hěn jiǔ以前yǐ qián，在zài古代gǔ dài中国zhōng guó，勇敢yǒng gǎn的de将军jiāng jūn项羽xiàng yǔ带着dài zhe士兵shì bīng渡过dù guò宽阔kuān kuò的de江河jiāng hé。A long time ago, in ancient China, the brave general Xiang Yu led his soldiers across the wide river.大家dà jiā站zhàn在zài对岸duì àn，看着kàn zhe前方qián fāng整齐zhěng qí排队pái duì的de敌军dí jūn，心里xīn li不免bù miǎn害怕hài pà——如果rú guǒ打败dǎ bài了le，就jiù再也zài yě回huí不bù了liǎo家jiā。Everyone stood on the opposite bank, looking at the enemy's neatly lined troops in front, and couldn't help but feel afraid—if they were defeated, they would never be able to return home.

深夜shēn yè，项羽xiàng yǔ举jǔ刀dāo高喊gāo hǎn：「破釜沉舟pò fǔ chén zhōu！」Late at night, Xiang Yu raised his saber and shouted: "Break the cauldrons and sink the boats!"士兵shì bīng们men互相hù xiāng看着kàn zhe：锅子guō zi是shì煮饭zhǔ fàn用yòng的de，船chuán是shì回家huí jiā的de工具gōng jù，如果rú guǒ砸锅zá guō、沉船chén chuán，还hái怎么zěn me活huó？The soldiers looked at each other: the cauldrons were for cooking, the boats were for going home; if they smashed the cauldrons and sank the boats, how could they survive?不过bù guò他们tā men知道zhī dào将军jiāng jūn的de意思yì si，于是yú shì开始kāi shǐ动手dòng shǒu：有yǒu人rén抬起tái qǐ沉重chén zhòng的de铁锅tiě guō砸zá在zài岩石yán shí上shàng，有yǒu人rén一起yī qǐ把bǎ木船mù chuán推tuī进jìn江jiāng里lǐ，让ràng它tā翻覆fān fù、沉没chén mò。But they understood the general's meaning, so they began to take action: some lifted heavy iron cauldrons and smashed them on the rocks, others pushed the wooden boats into the river together, letting them capsize and sink.当dāng最后zuì hòu一yī艘sōu船chuán沉chén到dào江jiāng中心zhōng xīn，大家dà jiā明白míng bai，退路tuì lù没méi了le，只能zhǐ néng向前xiàng qián。When the last boat sank to the center of the river, everyone understood that there was no retreat, only to move forward.

天亮tiān liàng后hòu，风fēng呼呼hū hū吹chuī，战鼓zhàn gǔ隆隆lóng lóng响xiǎng。After dawn, the wind blew fiercely, and the war drums thundered.没有méi yǒu退路tuì lù的de士兵shì bīng拔bá刀dāo冲chōng上去shàng qù，刀光dāo guāng像xiàng闪电shǎn diàn，喊声hǎn shēng震天zhèn tiān。The soldiers with no retreat drew their sabers and charged forward, their blade lights like lightning, their shouts shaking the sky.他们tā men都dōu知道zhī dào：胜利shèng lì是shì唯一wéi yī的de出路chū lù。They all knew: victory was the only way out.打dǎ到dào黄昏huáng hūn，项羽xiàng yǔ终于zhōng yú大dà破pò敌军dí jūn，凯旋kǎi xuán回营huí yíng。Fighting until dusk, Xiang Yu finally defeated the enemy army and returned to camp in triumph.

从此cóng cǐ，「破釜沉舟pò fǔ chén zhōu」就jiù成chéng了le下定xià dìng决心jué xīn、不留bù liú后路hòu lù的de代名词dài míng cí。From then on, "breaking the cauldrons and sinking the boats" became a synonym for making up one's mind and leaving no way back.就像jiù xiàng莎拉shā lā辞掉cí diào稳定wěn dìng工作gōng zuò，卖掉mài diào汽车qì chē，全心quán xīn经营jīng yíng自己zì jǐ的de烘焙坊hōng bèi fáng——她tā也yě是shì真正zhēn zhèng地de破釜沉舟pò fǔ chén zhōu，只能zhǐ néng往前wǎng qián，没有méi yǒu回头huí tóu。Just like Sarah, who quit her stable job, sold her car, and wholeheartedly ran her own bakery—she truly broke the cauldrons and sank the boats, only able to move forward, with no turning back.