背水一战

Bèi Shuǐ Yī Zhàn

背对着水打仗，没有退路，只能拼命向前。比喻在没有退路的情况下，下定决心拼到底。

Fighting with your back to the river — no retreat possible, so you push forward with everything you've got.

汉hàn朝cháo时shí候hòu，大dà将jiāng韩hán信xìn奉fèng命mìng去qù攻gōng打dǎ赵zhào国guó。他tā带dài的de士shì兵bīng不bù多duō，赵zhào国guó却què有yǒu二èr十shí万wàn大dà军jūn，人rén人rén都dōu觉jué得de韩hán信xìn赢yíng不bù了liǎo。

韩hán信xìn来lái到dào井jǐng陉xíng这zhè个gè地dì方fang，故gù意yì让ràng士shì兵bīng们men背bèi对duì着zhe河hé水shuǐ列liè阵zhèn。士shì兵bīng们men很hěn奇qí怪guài：“背bèi后hòu就jiù是shì河hé，一yì打dǎ败bài仗zhàng我wǒ们men就jiù没méi地dì方fang跑pǎo了le。”

第dì二èr天tiān，赵zhào军jūn出chū来lái攻gōng打dǎ，韩hán信xìn一yì边biān假jiǎ装zhuāng败bài退tuì，一yì边biān派pài一yì支zhī小xiǎo队duì偷tōu偷tōu跑pǎo到dào赵zhào军jūn大dà营yíng后hòu面miàn。战zhàn斗dòu一yì打dǎ起qǐ来lái，背bèi水shuǐ的de士shì兵bīng没méi有yǒu退tuì路lù，只zhǐ能néng拼pīn命mìng向xiàng前qián冲chōng。赵zhào军jūn攻gōng不bú下xià来lái，回huí头tóu一yí看kàn，自zì己jǐ的de大dà营yíng已yǐ经jīng被bèi汉hàn军jūn占zhàn了le，顿dùn时shí乱luàn成chéng一yì团tuán。

韩hán信xìn就jiù这zhè样yàng以yǐ少shǎo胜shèng多duō，大dà败bài赵zhào军jūn。后hòu来lái将jiāng军jūn们men问wèn他tā为wèi什shén么me要yào背bèi水shuǐ打dǎ仗zhàng，他tā说shuō：“把bǎ大dà家jiā放fàng在zài没méi有yǒu退tuì路lù的de地dì方fang，他tā们men才cái会huì拼pīn尽jǐn全quán力lì。”

“背bèi水shuǐ一yí战zhàn”这zhè个gè成chéng语yǔ就jiù是shì这zhè么me来lái的de，形xíng容róng在zài没méi有yǒu退tuì路lù的de时shí候hòu，下xià决jué心xīn拼pīn一yì把bǎ。

In the Han dynasty, the great general Han Xin was sent to attack the state of Zhao. He had only a small force, while Zhao fielded two hundred thousand soldiers. Everyone believed Han Xin could not possibly win.

Arriving at Jingxing, Han Xin lined up his troops with their backs to the river. The soldiers were uneasy: “The river is right behind us — if we lose, there's nowhere to run.”

The next day the Zhao army attacked. Han Xin pretended to fall back, while a small detachment slipped around behind the Zhao camp. When the real fight began, the men with the river at their backs had no escape, and they charged forward with all their strength. The Zhao forces couldn't break them, and when they glanced back, they saw their own camp already captured by the Han. The Zhao ranks fell into chaos.

Han Xin won a great victory with a far smaller army. When his officers asked him why he had fought with the river behind him, he replied, “When there's no retreat, soldiers give everything they have.”

This is how “fighting with your back to the river” became a phrase — for committing to one last all-out effort when there is no other way.