不鸣则已，一鸣惊人 (bù míng zé yǐ, yī míng jīng rén)
It literally means to amaze the world with a single, brilliant feat; to set the world on fire.
The Story:
Duke Wei of Qi, during the Warring States Period, neglected state affairs for the first three years of his reign, giving over to dissipation. One of his ministers who had a good sense of humor, said, "There is a big bird which has neither taken wing nor sung for three years." Upon hearing this, the duke answered, "Once that bird starts to fly and sing, it will astonish the world." After saying this, the duke devoted himself to his duties and built his state up into a powerful one.
It literally means to amaze the world with a single, brilliant feat; to set the world on fire.
The Story:
Duke Wei of Qi, during the Warring States Period, neglected state affairs for the first three years of his reign, giving over to dissipation. One of his ministers who had a good sense of humor, said, "There is a big bird which has neither taken wing nor sung for three years." Upon hearing this, the duke answered, "Once that bird starts to fly and sing, it will astonish the world." After saying this, the duke devoted himself to his duties and built his state up into a powerful one.
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