忍辱负重

Pronunciation: rěn rǔ fù zhòng Literal meaning: Endure humiliation bear burdens

Origin & Usage

Liu Bei invaded Wu in 221 and Lu Xun was given the command against him the following year, over veteran officers who did not disguise what they thought of a young scholar being put above them. Lu Xun's answer to them is the phrase: the state has bent them to his authority because he can endure humiliation (忍辱) and carry the weight (负重). He then refused battle for months while Liu Bei's army wore itself out, and burned it at Yiling. What the phrase claims is that the two things are one capacity — the insult absorbed is the price of the responsibility held.

Examples

English: "To achieve his goals, he had to endure many hardships and keep pushing forward despite the challenges."

Chinese: 为了实现他的目标，他不得不忍辱负重，继续前行。