中国成语故事中英对照 破釜沉舟

During the late years of the Qi Dynasty(221-206BC), Xiang Yu led a rebellion. After crossing the Zhang River, Xiang Yu ordered his men to sink all their boats and break their cooking pots. He issued each soldier three days' rations(给养) and warned them that there was no way to retreat; the only thing they could do to survive was to advance and fight. After mine fierce battles, the Qin army was finally defeated.

This idiom is used to indicate one's firm determination to achieve one's goal at any cost.

秦朝末年，秦军大将章邯攻打赵国。赵军退守巨鹿(今河北平乡西南)，并被秦军重重包围。楚怀王于是封宋义为上将军，项羽为副将率军救援赵国。

宋义引兵至安阳(今山东曹县东南)后，接连46天按兵不动，对此项羽十分不満，于是要求进军决战，解困赵国。但宋义却希望秦赵两军交战后待秦军力竭之后才进攻。

但此时军中粮草缺乏士卒困顿，而宋义仍旧饮酒自顾，项羽见此忍无可忍，进营帐杀了宋义，并声称他叛国反楚。于是将士们则拥项羽为上将军。项羽杀宋义的事，威震楚国，名闻诸侯。

随后，他率所有军队悉数渡黄河前去营救赵国以解巨鹿之围。项羽在全军渡黄河之后他下令把所有的船只凿沉，打破烧饭用的锅，烧掉自己的营房，只带三天干粮，以此表决一死战，没有一点后退的打算。

正是这样已无退路的大军到了巨鹿外围，并包围了秦军和截断秦军外联的通道。楚军战士以一当十，杀伐声惊天动地。经过九次的激战，楚军最终大破秦军。而前来增援的其他各路诸侯却都因胆怯，不敢近前。楚军的骁勇善战大大提高了项羽的声威。以至战胜后，项羽于辕门接见各路诸侯时，各诸侯皆不敢正眼眼看项羽。

后来，“皆沉船，破釜甑”演化为成语“破釜沉舟”，以比喻拚死一战，决心很大。