悬梁刺股

To burn the midnight oil and tie one's hair to the beam.

《战国策》《汉书》

Tying One's Hair to a Beam and Prodding One's Thigh with an Awl is an idiom derived from ancient stories of diligent study, consisting of two allusions: "tying one's hair to a beam" and "prodding one's thigh with an awl." The first refers to Sun Jing of the Han Dynasty, who, to avoid dozing off while reading late at night, tied one end of a rope to a roof beam and the other end to his hair, so that whenever he nodded off, the pull on his scalp would jolt him awake. The second refers to Su Qin of the Warring States period, who, when overcome by drowsiness while studying, would jab his thigh with an awl, using the pain to drive away sleep. Together, the two allusions describe an extreme degree of diligence and hard work in study, sparing no means to stay awake. The idiom is often used to praise those who strive tirelessly and discipline themselves in their studies or careers, carrying a strongly positive connotation and embodying the traditional Chinese virtue of valuing diligent study. It is typically used to describe students preparing for exams, researchers tackling key problems, or any arduous process requiring a high degree of self-discipline. It should be noted that in modern contexts, the emphasis is placed on its spiritual significance rather than encouraging imitation of such self-harmful practices.

1. In order to get into his ideal university, he studied with extreme diligence, almost giving up all his leisure time. (Describing someone who studies very hard and diligently) 2. During the critical stage of the project, the research team worked tirelessly day and night with extreme diligence, and finally made a breakthrough. (Describing someone who works extremely hard and is willing to push themselves to the limit)