调虎离山

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: diào hǔ lí shān
• English Translation: Luring the tiger away from the mountain (drawing the enemy out of their stronghold)
• Idiom Composition: 「调」（To move, shift, or transfer）＋「虎」（Tiger (a metaphor for a powerful enemy or obstacle)）＋「离」（To leave or separate from）＋「山」（Mountain (a metaphor for the enemy's stronghold or advantageous environment)）
• Meaning: A strategy of enticing an opponent to leave their advantageous position or stronghold, making them vulnerable and easier to attack or defeat. It is one of the famous Thirty-Six Stratagems (三十六计).

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「调虎离山」 contains the following nuances:

• Depriving the Advantageous Environment: When an opponent is too powerful to face head-on, the goal is to strip them of their 'fortified position' or 'base of power' before engaging.
• Deceptive Maneuvers: This strategy often involves deception, such as using decoys or spreading false information, to make the opponent move of their own volition.

3. Usage

「调虎离山」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Business & Negotiation: Used when luring a negotiation partner away from their 'home ground' (like their own office) to gain a psychological advantage in a neutral or 'away' environment.
  • Example:「为了在谈判中占据主动，他用了调虎离山之计，把对方代表约到了自己的公司。」
    （To gain the upper hand in negotiations, he used the strategy of luring the tiger away from the mountain by inviting the opposing representative to his own office.）
• Crime & Security: Refers to tactics where a criminal lures a resident out of their home or draws security guards away from their post to leave a target unguarded.
  • Example:「小偷故意弄响警报器，想来个调虎离山，引开保安。」
    （The thief intentionally set off the alarm, attempting to lure the tiger away from the mountain and draw the security guards away.）
• Sports & Gaming: In sports like soccer or basketball, it refers to a tactic where a player draws a defender away from the goal to create space for teammates.
  • Example:「前锋通过跑位实施调虎离山，为队友创造了射门机会。」
    （The forward made a run to lure the tiger away from the mountain, drawing the defenders away and creating a scoring opportunity for his teammate.）

Additional Examples:

1. 这显然是敌人的调虎离山之计，我们千万不能离开阵地。
   （This is clearly the enemy's tactic of luring the tiger away from the mountain; we must not leave our positions.）
2. 警察用调虎离山的方法，成功将嫌疑人引出了藏身之处。
   （The police used the method of luring the tiger away from the mountain to successfully draw the suspect out of his hiding place.）
3. 他在会议上故意激怒对手，想用调虎离山计让对方失态。
   （He deliberately provoked his opponent during the meeting, hoping to lure the tiger away from the mountain and cause them to lose their composure.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• Thirty-Six Stratagems (三十六计): 调虎离山 (diào hǔ lí shān) is the 15th of the Thirty-Six Stratagems (三十六计). The original text suggests waiting for the right timing to trouble the enemy and using human decoys to entice them out of natural strongholds.
• Literary Sources: This idiom appears frequently in classic Chinese literature, such as Journey to the West (西游记) and Investiture of the Gods (封神演义). In Journey to the West (西游记), demons often use this tactic to separate Sun Wukong (孙悟空) from Tang Sanzang (唐三藏).
• Modern Nuance: Beyond its military origins, it is a common term in modern Chinese for any tactical diversion used in daily life, sports, or competitive games.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 声东击西 (shēng dōng jī xī): Making a feint to the east while attacking in the west; a general diversionary tactic.
  • 引蛇出洞 (yǐn shé chū dòng): Luring the snake out of its hole; enticing a hidden villain or enemy to reveal themselves.
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 放虎归山 (fàng hǔ guī shān): Releasing the tiger back to the mountain; letting a threat go free, which leads to greater harm later.

6. Summary

The idiom 调虎离山 (diào hǔ lí shān) refers to luring a powerful enemy away from their base of strength to make them vulnerable. While it originates from ancient military strategy, it is now widely used in business negotiations, sports tactics, and security contexts to describe any 'decoy' or 'diversionary' maneuver.