abandon writing for military service; join the army
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesidiom
to throw away the pen and join the army; to abandon civilian life for a military career
formalDerived from the story of Ban Chao (班超) in the Eastern Han Dynasty, who gave up his job as a copyist to pursue military glory on the frontier. Used to describe scholars or intellectuals who join the military.
Zài在
guó国
jiā家
wēi危
nán难
zhī之
jì际
，
xǔ许
duō多
qīng青
nián年
xué学
zǐ子
jué决
dìng定
tóu投
bǐ笔
cóng从
róng戎
。
In times of national crisis, many young students decided to abandon their studies and join the army.
Tā他
fàng放
qì弃
le了
gāo高
xīn薪
gōng工
zuò作
，
tóu投
bǐ笔
cóng从
róng戎
，
chéng成
wéi为
yī一
míng名
biān边
fáng防
zhàn战
shì士
。
He gave up his high-paying job, threw away his pen to join the army, and became a border guard.
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Zhè这
wèi位
zuò作
jiā家
nián年
qīng轻
shí时
tóu投
bǐ笔
cóng从
róng戎
，
cān参
jiā加
guo过
kàng抗
rì日
zhàn战
zhēng争
。
This writer joined the army in his youth, giving up literature to participate in the War of Resistance Against Japan.