Everything is Ready Except the East Wind

China has been divided into three kingdoms historically: Wei in the north, Shu in the southwest and Wu in the southeast. 　

Once Cao Cao from Wei led a 200, 000 strong army down to the south to wipe out the kingdoms of Wu and Shu. Therefore, Wu and Shu united to defend his attack. Cao ordered his men to link up the boats by iron chains to form a bridge for the Cao's passing from the north bank of Yangtze River to the south bank. The General Commander of the allied army was Zhou Yu. He analyzed the situation carefully. Then he got a good idea. He decided to attack the enemy with fire. So he began to prepare for the coming battle. Suddenly he thought of the direction of wind. He needed the east wind to blow strongly in order to accomplish his scheme. However, the wind did not come for days. Thus Zhou Yu was worried about it.  At that time, he got a note from Zhuge Liang, the military adviser of the State of Shu, which reads:

"To fight Cao Cao

Fire will help you win

Everything is ready

Except the east wind"

Quickly he turned to Zhuge Liang for help. Zhuge told him not to worry and there would be an east wind in a couple of days. Two days later, the east wind helped Zhou accomplish his scheme. At last, the allied army won the war.　

Later, people use it to say "All is ready except what is crucial".

　　                                        万事俱备，只欠东风

历史上，中国曾被分为三大国：北边是魏国，西南是蜀国，东南是吴国。

有一次，魏国的曹操带了20万精兵南下攻打吴国和蜀国，准备消灭它们。为了应敌，吴国和蜀国结成同盟国。曹军驻扎在长江北岸。曹操让手下用铁链将战船连在一起，好让曹军渡江攻打南岸的盟军。盟军由吴国将领周瑜带领，他仔细分析了形势，最后决定用火烧掉敌人的船。于是，他开始准备一切，当他将一切准备好时，发现还需要东风。可连续几天都没有东风，周瑜急得病倒了。这时，蜀国的军师诸葛亮叫人送了一张纸条给他，上面写着："要赢曹操，须用火攻。万事俱备，只欠东风。"周瑜收到后，立刻向诸葛亮求助。诸葛亮叫周瑜不要着急，两天后，将有东风。果然，两天后，刮起东风。周瑜趁这个机会将曹军的战船烧毁，最后，曹操被打败了。　

后来，人们用这个成语来比喻样样都准备好了，只差最后一个重要条件。

                                              Wàn Shì Jù Bèi, Zhī Qiàn Dōng Fēng 

Lì shǐ shàng, zhōng guó céng bèi fèn wéi sān dà guó: Běi biān shì wèi guó, xī nán shì shǔ guó, dōng nán shì wú guó.

 Yǒu yī cì, wèi guó de cáo cāo dài le 20wàn jīng bīng nán xià gōng dǎ wú guó hé shǔ guó, zhǔn bèi xiāo miè tā men. Wéi le yīng dí, wú guó hé shǔ guó jié chéng tóng méng guó. Cáo jūn zhù zhā zài zhǎng jiāng běi àn. cáo cāo ràng shǒu xià yòng tiě liàn jiāng zhàn chuán lián zài yī qǐ, hǎo ràng cáo jun1 dù jiāng gōng dǎ nán àn de méng jūn. Méng jūn yóu wú guó jiāng lǐng zhōu yú dài lǐng, tā zǎi xì fèn xī le xíng shì, zuì hòu jué dìng yòng huǒ shāo diào dí rén de chuán. Yú shì, tā kāi shǐ zhǔn bèi yī qiē, dāng tā jiāng yī qiē zhǔn bèi hǎo shí, fā xiàn hái xū yào dōng fēng. Kě lián xù jǐ tiān dōu méi yǒu dōng fēng, zhōu yú jí dé bìng dǎo le. Zhè shí, shǔ guó de jun1 shī zhū gě liàng jiào rén sòng le yī zhāng zhǐ tiáo gěi tā, shàng miàn xiě zhe:

 "yào yíng cáo cāo, xū yòng huǒ gōng. Wàn shì jù bèi, zhī qiàn dōng fēng." 

Zhōu yú shōu dào hòu, lì kè xiàng zhū gě liàng qiú zhù. Zhū gě liàng jiào zhōu yú bú yào zhe jí, liǎng tiān hòu, jiāng yǒu dōng fēng. Guǒ rán ，liǎng tiān hòu, guā qǐ dōng fēng. Zhōu yú chèn zhè gè jī huì jiāng cáo jun1 de zhàn chuán shāo huǐ, Zuì hòu, cáo cāo bèi dǎ bài le.

Hòu lái, rén men yòng zhè gè chéng yǔ lái bǐ yù yàng yàng dōu zhǔn bèi hǎo le, zhī chà zuì hòu yī gè zhòng yào tiáo jiàn.