偃旗息鼓这个成语现在用来比喻停止攻击或者事情中止。
ToLowertheBannersandSilencetheDrums
IntheThreeKingdomsPeriod,duringabattlebetweenCaoCaoandLiuBei,thelatterorderedhisgeneralsZhaoYunandHuangZhongtocaptureCaoCaossupplies.CaoCaoledalargeforceagainstZhaoYun,whoretreatedasfasasthegatesofhiscamp.There,heorderedthatthebannersbeloweredandthewardrumssilenced,andthatthecampgatesbeleftwideopen.ZhaoYunthenstationedhistroopsinambushnearly.WhenCaoCaoarrivedandsawthesituation,heimmediatelysuspectedatrapandwithdrewhisforces.
Thisidiomisnowadaysusedtoindicatemetaphoricallyhaltinganattackorceasingallactivities.
