如临大敌

lit. as if meeting a great enemy (idiom) / fig. cautious / with great preoccupation / with strict precaution

as / as if / such as

to face / to overlook / to arrive / to be (just) about to / just before

see 大夫[dai4 fu5]

big; large; great / older (than another person) / eldest (as in 大姐[da4 jie3]) / greatly; freely; fully / (dialect) father / (dialect) uncle (father's brother)

enemy / to be a match for / to rival / to resist / to withstand