Chinese

{| style="clear: right;margin: 1em;border-collapse: collapse;text-align: center"

|- ! !mountain; hill !collapse; fall into ruins

!

!crack; split |- !simp. and trad.
(山崩地裂) | 山 | 崩 | 地 | 裂 |- !Literally: “The mountains collapse and the earth splits open.”. |}

Idiom

山崩地裂

1. describes how a place looks after a great natural catastrophe; massively destructive

   這次地震發生在當地時間凌晨，人們還在睡夢中被山崩地裂般的地震驚醒，無數房屋在一瞬間轟然倒坍，許多人猝不及防就死於夢中。 [MSC, trad.]

   这次地震发生在当地时间凌晨，人们还在睡梦中被山崩地裂般的地震惊醒，无数房屋在一瞬间轰然倒坍，许多人猝不及防就死于梦中。 [MSC, simp.]

   From: 2006: anon., 中国地震信息网 (China Seismic Information)

   Zhè cì dìzhèn fāshēng zài dāngdì shíjiān língchén, rénmen hái zài shuìmèng zhōng bèi shānbēng dìliè bān de dìzhèn jīngxǐng, wúshù fángwū zài yīshùnjiān hōngrán dǎotān, xǔduō rén cùbùjífáng jiù sǐ yú mèng zhōng. [Pinyin]

   This time, the earthquake occurred before dawn local time. People were still sound asleep when they were jolted awake by a massively destructive earthquake. In an instant, countless houses had collapsed, and many people had died in their sleep with no time to react.

2. describes something that has prestige and is imposing; awesome

   「太鼓」是日本傳統的鼓藝表演形式，由於其所擂出的山崩地裂的巨響，加上低頻如颶風般襲來，其音壓之高，力道之強，爆發音之猛，非言語所能形容。 [MSC, trad.]

   “太鼓”是日本传统的鼓艺表演形式，由于其所擂出的山崩地裂的巨响，加上低频如飓风般袭来，其音压之高，力道之强，爆发音之猛，非言语所能形容。 [MSC, simp.]

   From: 2005: anon., 鬼太鼓座 (Ondekoza) -《疾走》(Roulade)

   "Tàigǔ" shì Rìběn chuántǒng de gǔyì biǎoyǎn xíngshì, yóuyú qí suǒ léi chū de shānbēng dìliè de jùxiǎng, jiāshàng dīpín rú jùfēng bān xí lái, qí yīnyā zhī gāo, lìdào zhī qiáng, bàofāyīn zhī měng, fēi yányǔ suǒ néng xíngróng. [Pinyin]

   The "Taiko" is a Japanese traditional style of drumming performance. As a result of the awesome noise that comes from the drumming, the low frequencies that strike like a hurricane, and the full and explosive ferocity of the sound, there are no words that can describe it.