一劳永逸
- Literal
- one effort, ease forever
- Figurative
- To settle something once and for all with one big effort, so you never have to touch it again; often said skeptically, doubting such a fix exists.
Where does 一劳永逸 come from?
In the year 89 CE, Han troops defeated the northern Xiongnu, and the historian Ban Gu wrote a commemorative inscription that was carved on Mount Yanran. In it he called the campaign "一劳而久逸，暂费而永宁" — one exertion for a long rest, a passing expense for lasting peace — meaning that the costly war of the moment would spare many wars later. The four-syllable idiom condensed out of that line. Today it serves equally for the intention of fixing something permanently and for casting doubt on whether such a permanent fix is ever really available.
Source (出处): 班固《封燕然山铭》
How is 一劳永逸 used? Two examples
- 换了新系统就想一劳永逸？以后照样得维护。
Switch to a new system and think you're done for good? You'll still have to maintain it.
- 这次我们把线路全部重装，争取一劳永逸。
This time we're redoing all the wiring, hoping to fix it once and for all.
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