The boat rides the wind and breaks the waves. Describe the speed at which the boat is moving. It is a metaphor for the courage to move forward without fear of hardship and danger.
Idiom Pronunciation:
乘风破浪
chéng fēng pò làng
Origin:
南朝梁·沈约《宋书·宗悫传》：悫年少时，炳问其志，悫曰：“愿乘长风破万里浪。”
Story:
During the Northern and Southern Dynasties in China, there was a young man named Zongcourt, or Yuangan. He grew up following his father and uncle in sword and stick dancing, and practising martial arts.
One day, on the day of his brother’s wedding, the family was full of guests and there was a great deal of excitement. At that moment, a dozen thieves posed as guests and took advantage of the opportunity to infiltrate. The thieves soon infiltrated the treasury of the Zong family. One of the household servants happened to be going to the treasury to get something and spotted the thieves, so he ran into the living room screaming. For a moment, everyone in the living room was stunned and did not know what to do. But Zongcuo, calm and collected, drew his sword and ran straight to the treasury.
When the thieves saw that someone had arrived, they waved their swords and spears to intimidate him and prevented him from coming forward. Without fear, he raised his sword and stabbed the thieves, while the crowd who arrived after him shouted their support. Seeing the situation, the thief dropped the loot and escaped. The guests praised the young man’s bravery and resourcefulness. They asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. He raised his head and said loudly, “I want to ride the long wind and break the waves and do something great.”
A few years later, when Fan Yang Mai, the king of Linyi, invaded the border, the emperor sent Tan He Zhi, the governor of Jiaoshu, to fight against him. On one occasion, Tan He Zhi led his troops to besiege Fan Fulong, the defender of the Lin Yi king in the city of District Su, and ordered Zongcuo to block the army sent by the Lin Yi king to reinforce him. When the reinforcements entered the ambush circle, he ordered the ambushers to attack immediately and they were defeated.
In this way, Zongcuo won many battles for his country and achieved many successes, and was later made the Marquis of Taoyang, fulfilling his ambition as a young man.
Similar Idioms:
- 披荆斩棘
