I have to say something else: The arrow is on the string.
Pronunciation: jiàn zài xián shàng, bù dé bù fā.
Interpretation: The arrow is already on the string and has to be fired. It means that the arrow was shot out of your will because of the string. It means that although you are the executor, you are ordered by others and you have no choice but to do it.
From "A Call to Yuzhou for Yuan Shao" by Chen Lin of the Three Kingdoms Wei Dynasty, Li Shan annotated "Wei Zhi": "When the arrow is on the string, it must be fired."
Translation: The arrow was nocked on the string and had to be fired.
Synonyms
Arrogant [jiàn bá nǔ zhāng]?
Interpretation: A metaphor for a tense situation that is about to break out.
Source: Part 4 of Zhou Erfu's "Morning in Shanghai": "Feng Yongxiang saw that they were tense and the situation was not good, so he quickly stood up and walked among them."