引而不發 [－－－发]

Jyutping jan5 ji4 bat1 faat3
Pinyin yǐn ér bù fā

Definitions (CC-CEDICT)
  1. to pull the bow without shooting (idiom from Mencius); ready and waiting for action
  2. to go through the motions
  3. to practice
  4. a trial run
Definitions (Wiktionary)
  1. phrase, idiomatic
    to be good at guiding others while leaving them to act on their own
    • 共產黨對於這些東西的宣傳政策應當是：“引而不發，躍如也。”菩薩要農民自己去丟，烈女祠、節孝坊要農民自己去摧毀，別人代庖是不對的。
      共产党对于这些东西的宣传政策应当是：“引而不发，跃如也。”菩萨要农民自己去丢，烈女祠、节孝坊要农民自己去摧毁，别人代庖是不对的。
      gòng chǎn dǎng duì yú zhè xiē dōng xi de xuān chuán zhèng cè yīng dāng shì ： “ yǐn ér bù fā ， yuè rú yě ． ” pú sà yào nóng mín zì jǐ qù diū ， liè nǚ cí ， jié xiào fāng yào nóng mín zì jǐ qù cuī huǐ ， bié rén dài páo shì bù duì de ．
      The Communist Party's propaganda policy in such matters should be, “Draw the bow without shooting, just indicate the motions.” It is for the peasants themselves to cast aside the idols, pull down the temples to the martyred virgins and the arches to the chaste and faithful widows; it is wrong for anybody else to do it for them.
  2. phrase, idiomatic
    to prepare and wait for action
Examples (Wiktionary)
  1. Mandarin
    共产党对于这些东西的宣传政策应当是：“引而不发，跃如也。”菩萨要农民自己去丢，烈女祠、节孝坊要农民自己去摧毁，别人代庖是不对的。
    共產黨對於這些東西的宣傳政策應當是：“引而不發，躍如也。”菩薩要農民自己去丟，烈女祠、節孝坊要農民自己去摧毀，別人代庖是不對的。
    gòng chǎn dǎng duì yú zhè xiē dōng xi de xuān chuán zhèng cè yīng dāng shì ： “ yǐn ér bù fā ， yuè rú yě ． ” pú sà yào nóng mín zì jǐ qù diū ， liè nǚ cí ， jié xiào fāng yào nóng mín zì jǐ qù cuī huǐ ， bié rén dài páo shì bù duì de ．
    • The Communist Party's propaganda policy in such matters should be, “Draw the bow without shooting, just indicate the motions.” It is for the peasants themselves to cast aside the idols, pull down the temples to the martyred virgins and the arches to the chaste and faithful widows; it is wrong for anybody else to do it for them.