Burn the bridge?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p>“<span word="To">To</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="way">way</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="need">need</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="burn">burn</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bridges">bridges</span> <span word="behind">behind</span> <span word="you">you</span>.” <span word="What">What</span> <span word="does">does</span> “<span word="burn">burn</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bridges">bridges</span>” <span word="mean">mean</span>?</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="sounds">sounds</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="advising">advising</span> <span word="people">people</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="embark">embark</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="endeavor">endeavor</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="other">other</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="worry">worry</span> <span word="too">too</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="past">past</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="consequences">consequences</span>.</p><p><span word="Or">Or</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="advising">advising</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="half">half</span>-<span word="hearted">hearted</span>. <span word="Perhaps">Perhaps</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="better">better</span> <span word="explanation">explanation</span>. <span word="To">To</span> “<span word="burn">burn</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bridges">bridges</span> <span word="behind">behind</span> <span word="you">you</span>”, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="see">see</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span> <span word="inspired">inspired</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="ancient">ancient</span> <span word="military">military</span> <span word="tactic">tactic</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="burning">burning</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bridge">bridge</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="soldiers">soldiers</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="crossed">crossed</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="river">river</span>. <span word="This">This</span> <span word="risky">risky</span> <span word="tactic">tactic</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="extra">extra</span> <span word="motivation">motivation</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="spur">spur</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="soldiers">soldiers</span>, <span word="telling">telling</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bridge">bridge</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="burned">burned</span>, <span word="there">there</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="turning">turning</span> <span word="back">back</span>. <span word="There">There</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="nowhere">nowhere</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="forward">forward</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="let">let</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="win">win</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="battle">battle</span> <span word="once">once</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="all">all</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span>, <span word="we">we</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="similar">similar</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="military">military</span> <span word="origin">origin</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Mie">Mie</span> <span word="Ci">Ci</span> <span word="Zhao">Zhao</span> <span word="Shi">Shi</span>（灭此朝食）, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="plain">plain</span> <span word="language">language</span>, <span word="let">let</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="skip">skip</span> <span word="breakfast">breakfast</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="attack">attack</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="morning">morning</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="empty">empty</span> <span word="stomach">stomach</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="goes">goes</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="logic">logic</span>, <span word="we">we</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="better">better</span> <span word="motivated">motivated</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="battle">battle</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="time">time</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="let">let</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="win">win</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="battle">battle</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="big">big</span> <span word="lunch">lunch</span> <span word="afterwards">afterwards</span>.</p><p><span word="Extreme">Extreme</span> <span word="tactics">tactics</span>, <span word="assuredly">assuredly</span>. <span word="Perhaps">Perhaps</span> <span word="soldiers">soldiers</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="battle">battle</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="empty">empty</span> <span word="stomach">stomach</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="day">day</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="certainly">certainly</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="everyday">everyday</span>! <span word="Hence">Hence</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="better">better</span> <span word="save">save</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="tactics">tactics</span> <span word="as">as</span> “<span word="skipping">skipping</span> <span word="breakfast">breakfast</span>, <span word="burning">burning</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bridge">bridge</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="burning">burning</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="boat">boat</span> (<span word="same">same</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="burning">burning</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bridge">bridge</span>)” <span word="for">for</span> <span word="extreme">extreme</span> <span word="circumstances">circumstances</span>.</p>
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