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作壁上觀 (Zuò bìshàngguān)


Daimashin

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作壁上觀 (Zuò bìshàngguān) - Sideline observers.

Literal meaning - Stand on a cliff and watch.

During the Battle of Jùlù where 項羽 (Xiàngyǔ) infamously defeated the Qin army's 300,000 soldiers by using 破釜沉舟 (Pòfǔchénzhōu), there were actually other rebels at the battlefield. These rebels were part of the alliance army led by Xiàngyǔ but they were too scared to enter battle because they were terrified by the sheer size of the Qin army. When the battle broke out, only Xiàngyǔ's army of 20,000 soldiers entered battle while the other rebel armies stood on top of a cliff and watched the battle cowered in fear.

作壁上觀 (Zuò bìshàngguān) is used to describe people that only observe a certain situation and not participate.

Example:

"我想這一次遊戲我不要下場, 還是「作壁上觀」比較好."

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