"Crossing Five Passes and Slaying Six Generals" comes from the story in Romance of the Three Kingdoms in which Guan Yu rides a thousand li alone. It originally refers to Guan Yu passing through five of Cao Cao's checkpoints in succession, slaying six defending generals, and ultimately escorting Liu Bei's family members to safety. Later, it came to mean overcoming numerous difficulties, breaking through layer upon layer of obstacles, and finally achieving one's goal. This idiom emphasizes the hardships of the process and the spirit of unremitting struggle, and it is often used to describe a person who endures tribulations and surmounts all difficulties to achieve victory. It is used in a wide range of contexts, such as career advancement, tackling difficult studies, and the journey of entrepreneurship, and it carries a commendatory tone and a sense of admiration. In terms of cultural background, it reflects the high regard in traditional Chinese culture for loyalty, righteousness, bravery, and perseverance, and it is a classic allusion widely circulated among the people.
📝 Example
1. He started from scratch, overcame one obstacle after another, and finally built the company into an industry leader. (A metaphor for overcoming numerous difficulties and achieving great success.)
2. This scientific research project took ten years, and the team overcame one hurdle after another before finally mastering the core technology. (A metaphor for breaking through layer upon layer of obstacles and completing a difficult task.)