Select the most appropriate meaning of the given proverb. After victory,…

A proverb describes a concrete, often old-fashioned scene, but its intended meaning is the general attitude or life lesson that scene recommends, not the literal action itself. To decode one, picture the literal scene first, then translate that scene into the abstract behaviour it is teaching, and match that behaviour to the closest paraphrase among the given options.

The literal scene here is a warrior who has just won a battle and, instead of loosening his armour in relief, tightens the cord of his helmet. This is the well-known proverb "Katte kabuto no o wo shimeyo" (勝って兜の緒を締めよ), traditionally rendered in English as "after winning, tighten the cords of your helmet." Proverb dictionaries gloss it as a caution against dropping one's guard once success has been achieved: a victory should be followed by continued alertness and preparation, not by complacency.

• “It is important to relax after a victory” describes loosening one's guard — the opposite behaviour to tightening a helmet cord.

• “Celebrate your victory with a sense of pride” describes an emotional reaction to winning, not the ongoing readiness the tightened cord represents.

• “You should always remain humble in victory” describes one's attitude toward others (modesty), a different idea from staying alert to future risk.

• “Always be cautious, even after achieving success” describes continued vigilance after success — the same behaviour the tightened helmet cord depicts.

The paraphrase that matches the literal image of re-securing one's helmet immediately after victory is the one built around continued caution after success.