談何容易
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See also: 谈何容易
Chinese[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
to speak; to talk; to converse to speak; to talk; to converse; to chat; to discuss; surname |
rhetorical construct signifying emphasis in the negative; not tolerated; unacceptable | easy; simple | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
trad. (談何容易) | 談 | 何容 | 易 | |
simp. (谈何容易) | 谈 | 何容 | 易 |
Phrase[edit]
談何容易
- (chiefly obsolete) it is no easy matter to give good advice (especially to one's superior); to speak is difficult
- 先生曰:「於戲,可乎哉?可乎哉?談何容易!」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: The Book of Han, circa 1st century CE
- Xiānshēng yuē: “Wūhū, kě hū zāi? Kě hū zāi? Tán héróng yì!” [Pinyin]
- "Alas! May I? I may not! Speeches to one's superior — those easily given will never be accepted!" said Mister Nobody.
先生曰:「於戏,可乎哉?可乎哉?谈何容易!」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]- 賈生有言:「懇言則辭淺而不入,深言則逆耳而失指。」故曰:「談何容易。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: p. 73 BCE, Huan Kuan (桓寬) (editor). Discourses on Salt and Iron (《鹽鐵論》).
- Gǔshēng yǒu yán: “Kěnyán zé cíqiǎn ér bùrù, shēnyán zé nì'ěr ér shīzhǐ.” Gù yuē: “Tán héróng yì.” [Pinyin]
- Jia Yi said: "Cordial speech tends to be superficial and fails to make an impact, but a penetrating comment grates on the ear and fails to deliver." Hence the saying, "no place for speech made at ease."
贾生有言:「恳言则辞浅而不入,深言则逆耳而失指。」故曰:「谈何容易。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
Etymology 2[edit]
to speak; to talk; to converse to speak; to talk; to converse; to chat; to discuss; surname |
carry; what; how carry; what; how; why; which |
|||
---|---|---|---|---|
trad. (談何容易) | 談 | 何 | 容易 | |
simp. (谈何容易) | 谈 | 何 | 容易 | |
Rebracketing of Etymology 1. |
Idiom[edit]
談何容易
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