▸ 从前cóng qián东晋Dōng Jìn时期shí qī，有个yǒu gè热血rè xuè青年qīng nián叫jiào祖逖Zǔ Tì。

Long ago, during the Eastern Jin period, there was a passionate young man named Zu Ti.

▸ 他tā和hé好朋友hǎo péng you刘琨Liú Kūn一起yī qǐ在zài京城jīng chéng求仕qiú shì。

He and his good friend Liu Kun sought official positions together in the capital.

▸ 两人liǎng rén家里jiā lǐ穷qióng，只能zhǐ néng同tóng睡shuì一yī张zhāng床chuáng。

The two came from poor families and could only share one bed.

▸ 一天yī tiān凌晨líng chén，他们tā men听见tīng jiàn远处yuǎn chù公鸡gōng jī打鸣dǎ míng——「喔wō喔wō喔wō——」。

One early morning, they heard a rooster crowing in the distance — 'cock-a-doodle-doo.'

▸ 祖逖Zǔ Tì立刻lì kè翻身fān shēn起来qǐ lái，拔剑bá jiàn对剑duì jiàn、挥舞huī wǔ练功liàn gōng。

Zu Ti immediately rolled over, got up, drew his sword, and practiced sword techniques.

▸ 他tā还hái叫醒jiào xǐng刘琨Liú Kūn一起yī qǐ练liàn。

He also woke Liu Kun to practice together.

▸ 祖逖Zǔ Tì说shuō：「大丈夫dà zhàng fu听到tīng dào鸡叫jī jiào就jiù该gāi动起来dòng qǐ lái，不能bù néng再zài睡shuì！」。

Zu Ti said, 'A true man should get moving when he hears the rooster crow and not sleep any longer!'

▸ 「要yào趁chèn天tiān还hái没méi亮liàng把bǎ身手shēn shǒu练好liàn hǎo，将来jiāng lái为wèi国家guó jiā出力chū lì。」

'We should train our skills before dawn and serve the country in the future.'

▸ 从此cóng cǐ他们tā men天天tiān tiān「闻鸡起舞wén jī qǐ wǔ」。

From then on, they 'rose at the rooster’s crow' every day.

▸ 无论wú lùn冬夏dōng xià，只要zhǐ yào鸡jī叫jiào就jiù起床qǐ chuáng练剑liàn jiàn。

Regardless of winter or summer, whenever the rooster crowed they got up to practice swordsmanship.

▸ 终于zhōng yú成了chéng le当时dāng shí有名yǒu míng的de将领jiàng lǐng。

Eventually, they became famous generals of their time.

▸ 所以suǒ yǐ，「闻鸡起舞wén jī qǐ wǔ」这个zhè ge成语chéng yǔ，字面zì miàn是shì「听见tīng jiàn鸡jī叫jiào就jiù起来qǐ lái舞剑wǔ jiàn」。

Thus, the idiom ‘聞雞起舞’ literally means ‘upon hearing the rooster’s crow, one gets up and practices swordsmanship.’

▸ 它tā引申yǐn shēn为wéi听到tīng dào号召hào zhào就jiù立刻lì kè、抓紧zhuā jǐn时间shí jiān努力nǔ lì的de意思yì si。

By extension, it means that when one hears a call, one immediately strives and makes the most of the time.

▸ 多duō用来yòng lái称赞chēng zàn一个yī gè人rén勤奋qín fèn自励zì lì。

It is often used to praise someone’s diligence and self-motivation.

▸ 比如bǐ rú：小张Xiǎo Zhāng每天měi tiān清晨qīng chén六点liù diǎn听到tīng dào闹钟nào zhōng就jiù去qù跑步pǎo bù和hé背bèi单字dān zì，从不cóng bù赖床lài chuáng。

For example: every morning at six, Xiao Zhang hears the alarm, goes running and studies vocabulary, and never sleeps in.

▸ 大家dà jiā都dōu说shuō他tā真是zhēn shì「闻鸡起舞wén jī qǐ wǔ」。

Everyone says he is truly '闻鸡起舞.'

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