This idiom, “破釜沉舟”, literally translates to “smashing the pots and sinking the boats.” It’s used to describe going all-in on a goal with your whole heart and mind, leaving yourself no path for retreat.
秦朝末年，秦国的统治非常残暴，老百姓的生活十分痛苦。各地纷纷出现了反抗秦国的起义军。
当时，有一位非常勇敢的将军，名叫项羽。他率领楚国的军队，准备攻打秦国的大军。秦国的军队非常强大，人数也比楚国多得多。很多士兵心里感到害怕，没有信心打赢这场仗。
项羽带领军队渡过了漳河。到了对岸之后，他下达了一个让所有人都感到震惊的命令。
他命令士兵们把所有的船凿破，沉入河里。
他又命令士兵们把做饭用的锅全部砸碎。
最后，他让士兵们烧掉了营地里所有的帐篷。
士兵们都不明白，纷纷议论：”没有船，我们怎么回去？没有锅，我们吃什么？”
项羽对士兵们说：”我们已经没有退路了。船没有了，锅也没有了，我们只能向前打。每个人只带三天的粮食，三天之内，我们必须打败敌人。”
士兵们听了，明白了项羽的用意。既然已经无路可退，就只能拼尽全力向前战斗。于是，所有人都变得非常勇敢，斗志高昂。
楚国的军队以一当十，奋勇杀敌，连续打了九场仗，场场获胜。最终，他们以少胜多，大败秦军，取得了巨大的胜利。
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| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 残暴 | cánbào | brutal, cruel |
| 起义军 | qǐyìjūn | rebel army, uprising forces |
| 将军 | jiāngjūn | general |
| 渡过 | dùguò | to cross (a river) |
| 震惊 | zhènjīng | to shock, to astonish |
| 凿破 | záopò | to bore holes in, to chisel through |
| 退路 | tuìlù | way of retreat, escape route |
| 斗志高昂 | dòuzhìgāoáng | high fighting spirit, high morale |
| 以一当十 | yǐyīdāngshí | one person fighting as if ten |
| 以少胜多 | yǐshǎoshèngduō | to defeat a larger force with a smaller one |
| 秦 | qīn | surname Qin; short name for 陝西|陕西[Shan3 xi1] |
| 朝 | Cháo | abbr. for 朝鮮|朝鲜[Chao2 xian3] Korea |
| 末年 | mò nián | the final years (of a regime) |
| 国 | Guó | surname Guo |
| 的 | de | of; ~'s (possessive particle); (used after an attribute when it modifies a noun); (used at the end of a declarative sentence for emphasis); (used after a noun, verb or adjective to… |
| 统 | tóng | to gather; to unify |
| 治 | zhì | to rule; to govern; to manage; to control; to harness (a river); to treat (a disease); to wipe out (a pest); to punish; to research |
| 非常 | fēi cháng | very; really; unusual; extraordinary |
| 老百姓 | lǎo bǎi xìng | ordinary people; the "person in the street"; CL:個|个[ge4] |
| 生 | shēng | to grow; to give birth; to produce; to be born; to arise; to occur; to light (a fire); to live; to be alive; life; raw; uncooked; unprocessed; unfamiliar; strange; (bound form) stu… |
| 活 | huó | to live; alive; living; work; workmanship |
| 十分 | shí fēn | very; completely; utterly; extremely; absolutely; hundred percent; to divide into ten equal parts |
| 痛 | tòng | ache; pain; sorrow; deeply; thoroughly |
| 苦 | kǔ | bitter; hardship; pain; to suffer; to bring suffering to; painstakingly |
| 各地 | gè dì | in all parts of (a country); various regions |
| 纷 | fen | numerous; disorderly |
| 出现 | chū xiàn | to appear; to arise; to emerge; to show up |
| 了 | le | (completed action marker); (modal particle indicating change of state, situation now); (modal particle intensifying preceding clause); (bound form) clear in one's mind; to understand clearly |
| 反 | fǎn | contrary; in reverse; inside out or upside down; to reverse; to return; to oppose; opposite; against; anti-; to rebel; to use analogy; instead; abbr. for 反切[fan3 qie4] phonetic sys… |
| 抗 | kǎng | to resist; to defy |
| 当时 | dāng shí | then; at that time |
| 有 | yǒu | to have; there is; (bound form) having; with; -ful; -ed; -al (as in 有意[you3 yi4] intentional) |
| 一 | yī | one; single; a (article); as soon as; entire; whole; all; throughout; "one" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 1); also pr. [yao1] for greater clarity when spelling out … |
| 位 | wèi | position; location; place; seat; classifier for people (honorific); classifier for binary bits (e.g. 十六位 16-bit or 2 bytes); (physics) potential |
| 勇 | yǒng | brave |
| 敢 | gǎn | to dare; daring; (polite) may I venture |
| 名叫 | míng jiào | called; named |
| 项羽 | Xiàng Yǔ | Xiang Yu the Conqueror (232-202 BC), warlord defeated by first Han emperor |
| 他 | tā | (third-person singular) (since the early 20th century, usu. male) he; him; his; (bound form) other; another; some other (as in 他日[ta1 ri4] and 他人[ta1 ren2]) |
| 率领 | shuài lǐng | to lead; to command; to head |
| 楚 | Chǔ | surname Chu; abbr. for Hubei 湖北省[Hu2 bei3 Sheng3] and Hunan 湖南省[Hu2 nan2 Sheng3] provinces together; Chinese kingdom during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods (722–22… |
| 军队 | jūn duì | armed forces; troops; CL:支[zhi1] |
| 准备 | zhǔn bèi | preparation; to prepare; to intend; to be about to; reserve (fund) |
| 攻打 | gōng dǎ | to attack (the enemy) |
| 大军 | dà jūn | army; main forces |
| 强 | qiāng | strong; powerful; vigorous; better; to force (qiang3); stubborn (jiang4); surname Qiang |
| 大 | dà | big; large; great; older (than another person); eldest (as in 大姐[da4 jie3]); greatly; freely; fully; (dialect) father; (dialect) uncle (father's brother) |
| 人数 | rén shù | number of people |
| 也 | Yě | surname Ye |
| 比 | Bǐ | Belgium; Belgian; abbr. for 比利時|比利时[Bi3 li4 shi2] |
| 多 | duō | many; much; more; a lot of; too many; in excess; (after a numeral) ... odd; how (to what extent) (Taiwan pr. [duo2]); (bound form) multi-; poly- |
| 得 | dé | to obtain; to get; to gain; to catch (a disease); proper; suitable; proud; contented; to allow; to permit; ready; finished |
| 很 | hěn | very; quite; (also, often used before an adjective without intensifying its meaning, i.e. as a meaningless syntactic element) |
| 多士 | duō shì | toast (loanword) |
| 兵 | bing | soldiers; an army; arms; warlike |
| 心里 | xīn li | chest; heart; mind |
| 感 | gǎn | to feel; to move; to touch; to affect; feeling; emotion; (suffix) sense of ~ |
| 到 | dào | to reach; to arrive; to leave for; to go to; to (a place); until (a time); up to (a point); (verb complement indicating arriving at a place or reaching a point); considerate; thoug… |
| 害怕 | hài pà | to be afraid; to be scared |
| 没有 | méi yǒu | haven't; hasn't; doesn't exist; to not have; to not be |
| 信 | xìn | letter; mail; CL:封[feng1]; to trust; to believe; to profess faith in; truthful; confidence; trust; at will; at random |
| 心 | xīn | heart; mind; intention; center; core; CL:顆|颗[ke1],個|个[ge4] |
| 打 | dá | (loanword) dozen; Taiwan pr. [da3] |
| 赢 | yíng | to beat; to win; to profit |
| 这 | zhè | (pronoun) this; these; (bound form) this; the (followed by a noun); (bound form) this; these (followed by a classifier) (in this sense, commonly pr. [zhei4], esp. in Beijing) |
| 场 | cháng | threshing floor; classifier for events and happenings: spell, episode, bout; variant of 場|场[chang2] |
| 仗 | zhǎng | weaponry; to wield; to depend on; battle |
| 带领 | dài lǐng | to guide; to lead |
| 漳 | ||
| 河 | hé | river (CL:條|条[tiao2],道[dao4]); (bound form) the Yellow River; (bound form) the Milky Way; (bound form) (on restaurant menus) rice noodles 河粉[he2 fen3] |
| 到了 | dào liǎo | at last; finally; in the end |
| 对岸 | duì àn | opposite bank (of a body of water) |
| 之 | zhī | (possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的[de5]); him; her; it |
| 后 | Hòu | surname Hou; back; behind; rear; afterwards; after; later; post- |
| 下达 | xià dá | to transmit to lower levels; to issue (a command, decree etc) |
| 一个 | yī ge | a; an; one; the whole (afternoon, summer vacation etc) |
| 让 | ràng | to yield; to permit; to let sb do sth; to have sb do sth; to make sb (feel sad etc); by (indicates the agent in a passive clause, like 被[bei4]) |
| 所有人 | suǒ yǒu rén | everyone; owner |
| 都 | Dū | surname Du |
| 命 | mǐng | life; order or command |
| 令 | líng | used in 脊令[ji2 ling2]; used in 令狐[Ling2 hu2] (Taiwan pr. [ling4]) |
| 士 | Shì | surname Shi |
| 们 | men | plural marker for pronouns, and nouns referring to individuals |
| 把 | bǎ | to hold; to grasp; to hold a baby in position to help it urinate or defecate; handlebar; classifier: handful, bundle, bunch; classifier for things with handles; (used to put the ob… |
| 所有 | suǒ yǒu | all; to have; to possess; to own |
| 船 | chuán | variant of 船[chuan2]; boat; vessel; ship; CL:條|条[tiao2],艘[sou1],隻|只[zhi1] |
| 沉 | chēn | to sink; heavy; deep; to immerse; to keep down |
| 入 | rù | to enter; to go into; to join; to become a member of; (bound form) to conform to (as in 入時|入时[ru4 shi2]); abbr. for 入聲|入声[ru4 sheng1]; (on product packaging, after {number n} + {cl… |
| 里 | lǐ | variant of 裡|里[li3]; lining; interior; inside; internal; also written 裏|里[li3]; surname Li |
| 又 | yòu | (once) again; also; both... and...; and yet; (used for emphasis) anyway |
| 做 | zuò | to make; to produce; to write; to compose; to do; to engage in; to hold (a party etc); (of a person) to be (an intermediary, a good student etc); to become (husband and wife, frien… |
| 饭 | fàn | cooked rice; CL:碗[wan3]; meal; CL:頓|顿[dun4]; (loanword) fan; devotee |
| 用 | yòng | to use; to make use of; to employ; (coverb) with; using; to need; to have to (usu. used in the negative or in questions); usefulness; utility; (bound form) expense; outlay; (courte… |
| 锅 | guo | pot; pan; wok; cauldron; CL:口[kou3],隻|只[zhi1] |
| 全部 | quán bù | whole; all |
| 砸 | zā | to smash; to fail; to bungle |
| 碎 | suì | (transitive or intransitive) to break into pieces; to shatter; to crumble; broken; fragmentary; scattered; garrulous |
| 最 | zuì | variant of 最[zui4]; old variant of 最[zui4]; (before an adjective or verb) to the highest degree; (the) most ...; -est; (after 之[zhi1]) best or most extreme example (e.g. 世界之最[shi4 jie4 zhi1 zui4] "the greatest in the world") |
| 烧 | shāo | to burn; to set on fire; to heat (over a fire); to boil (water, tea etc); to braise; to cook; to prepare food; to run a fever; fever; (coll.) to become full of oneself; to get carr… |
| 掉 | diào | to fall; to drop; to lag behind; to lose; to go missing; to reduce; fall (in prices); to lose (value, weight etc); to wag; to swing; to turn; to change; to exchange; to swap; to sh… |
| 营 | yīng | camp; battalion; to operate; to strive for |
| 地 | de | -ly; structural particle: used before a verb or adjective, linking it to preceding modifying adverbial adjunct |
| 帐 | zhàng | (bound form) curtain; tent; canopy; variant of 賬|账[zhang4] |
| 篷 | pēng | sail |
| 不明 | bù míng | not clear; unknown; to fail to understand |
| 白 | Bái | surname Bai; Bai ethnic group |
| 议 | yǐ | to comment on; to suggest |
| 论 | Lún | abbr. for 論語|论语[Lun2 yu3], The Analects (of Confucius) |
| 我 | wǒ | I; me; my |
| 怎 | zěn | how |
| 么 | má | exclamatory final particle; variant of 麼|么[me5] |
| 回去 | huí qu | to return; to go back |
| 吃 | chī | to eat; to consume; to eat at (a cafeteria etc); to eradicate; to destroy; to absorb; to suffer (shock, injury, defeat etc); variant of 吃[chi1] |
| 什 | shén | what |
| 对 | duì | right; correct; towards; at; for; concerning; regarding; to treat (sb a certain way); to face; (bound form) opposite; facing; matching; to match together; to adjust; to fit; to sui… |
| 说 | shuì | to persuade; variant of 說|说[shuo1] |
| 已经 | yǐ jīng | already |
| 只 | zhī | variant of 隻|只[zhi1]; variant of 只[zhi3]; grain that has begun to ripen; classifier for birds and certain animals, one of a pair, some utensils, vessels etc |
| 能 | Néng | surname Neng |
| 向前 | xiàng qián | forward; onward |
| 每个人 | měi ge rén | everybody; everyone |
| 带 | dài | band; belt; girdle; ribbon; tire; area; zone; region; CL:條|条[tiao2]; to wear; to carry; to take along; to bear (i.e. to have); to lead; to bring; to look after; to raise |
| 三 | Sān | surname San |
| 天 | tiān | day; sky; heaven |
| 粮食 | liáng shi | foodstuff; cereals; CL:種|种[zhong3] |
| 之内 | zhī nèi | inside; within |
| 必须 | bì xū | to have to; must; compulsory; necessarily |
| 败 | bǎi | to defeat; to lose (to an opponent); to wither |
| 敌人 | dí rén | enemy; CL:個|个[ge4] |
| 听 | yǐn | smile (archaic); to listen to; to hear; to heed; to obey; a can (loanword from English "tin"); classifier for canned beverages; to let be; to allow (Taiwan pr. [ting4]); (literary) to administer; t… |
| 明白 | míng bai | clear; obvious; unequivocal; sensible; reasonable; to understand; to realize |
| 用意 | yòng yì | intention; purpose |
| 既然 | jì rán | since; as; this being the case |
| 无 | mó | used in 南無|南无[na1 mo2] |
| 路 | Lù | surname Lu |
| 可 | kě | (prefix) can; may; able to; -able; to approve; to permit; to suit; (particle used for emphasis) certainly; very; but; however |
| 退 | tuì | to retreat; to withdraw; to reject; to return (sth); to decline |
| 就 | jìu | (after a suppositional clause) in that case; then; (after a clause of action) as soon as; immediately after; (same as 就是[jiu4 shi4]) merely; nothing else but; simply; just; precise… |
| 拼 | pin | to piece together; to put together; to risk all; to go all out |
| 尽 | jǐn | to the greatest extent; (when used before a noun of location) furthest or extreme; to be within the limits of; to give priority to; to use up; to exhaust; to end; to finish; to the utmost; exhausted; finished; to the limit (of sth); all; entirely |
| 全力 | quán lì | with all one's strength; full strength; all-out (effort); fully (support) |
| 战斗 | zhàn dòu | to fight; to engage in combat; struggle; battle; CL:場|场[chang2],次[ci4] |
| 于是 | yú shì | thereupon; as a result; consequently; thus; hence |
| 变得 | biàn de | to become |
| 奋 | fěn | to exert oneself (bound form) |
| 杀敌 | shā dí | to attack the enemy |
| 连 | Lián | surname Lian |
| 续 | xù | to continue; to replenish |
| 九 | jǐu | nine; 9 |
| 获 | huǒ | (literary) to catch; to capture |
| 胜 | shèng | victory; success; to beat; to defeat; to surpass; victorious; superior to; to get the better of; better than; surpassing; superb (of vista); beautiful (scenery); wonderful (view); … |
| 终 | zhong | end |
| 军 | jūn | (bound form) army; military |
| 取得 | qǔ dé | to acquire; to get; to obtain |
| 巨大 | jù dà | huge; immense; enormous; gigantic |
| 胜利 | shèng lì | victory; CL:個|个[ge4] |
At the end of the Qin Dynasty, the Qin state’s rule was extremely brutal, and the common people’s lives were very painful. Rebel armies opposing Qin appeared everywhere across the land.
At that time, there was a very brave general named Xiang Yu. He led the army of Chu, preparing to attack the great army of Qin. The Qin army was very powerful, and their numbers far exceeded those of Chu. Many soldiers felt afraid in their hearts and had no confidence in winning this battle.
Xiang Yu led his army across the Zhang River. After reaching the other side, he issued an order that shocked everyone.
He ordered the soldiers to bore holes in all the boats and sink them into the river.
He then ordered the soldiers to smash all the cooking pots.
Finally, he had the soldiers burn down all the tents in the camp.
The soldiers didn’t understand and discussed among themselves: “Without boats, how will we get back? Without pots, what will we eat?”
Xiang Yu said to the soldiers: “We no longer have any way to retreat. The boats are gone, the pots are gone too – we can only fight forward. Each person will carry only three days’ worth of food. Within three days, we must defeat the enemy.”
After hearing this, the soldiers understood Xiang Yu’s intention. Since there was no way to retreat, they could only fight forward with all their strength. Thus, everyone became extremely brave, with high fighting spirit.
The Chu army fought with the strength of one against ten, bravely killing enemies, and fought nine consecutive battles, winning every single one. In the end, they defeated the larger force with their smaller one, thoroughly crushed the Qin army, and achieved a tremendous victory.