鞠躬尽瘁
- Literal
- to bow down and exhaust oneself completely
- Figurative
- To devote oneself utterly to a cause or duty, sparing no effort until one's strength is spent. It praises someone's total loyalty and dedication, often right up to the end of their life.
Where does 鞠躬尽瘁 come from?
The phrase comes from the Later Memorial on the Expedition (后出师表) attributed to Zhuge Liang, the great chancellor of the kingdom of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period. After Liu Bei's death, Zhuge Liang took on the immense duty of holding the kingdom together and fulfilling the dream of restoring the Han dynasty. In the memorial, addressed to the young emperor Liu Shan before he set out once more to war against Wei, he vowed to give himself entirely to the cause: “鞠躬尽瘁，死而后已” (“I will spare no effort until death, and only then will I rest”). Zhuge Liang kept his word and died soon after while still on campaign, at the Wuzhang Plains, so the saying came to stand for utter loyalty and selfless devotion.
Source (出处): 诸葛亮《后出师表》
How is 鞠躬尽瘁 used? Two examples
- 他为公司鞠躬尽瘁工作了三十年，直到退休那天。
He devoted himself heart and soul to the company for thirty years, right up to the day he retired.
- 这位老师为学生鞠躬尽瘁，大家都很尊敬她。
This teacher gives herself entirely to her students, and everyone respects her deeply.
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