危如累卵
Chinese
| danger; to endanger | as (if); such as | delicate balancing act | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| trad. (危如累卵) | 危 | 如 | 累卵 | |
| simp. #(危如累卵) | 危 | 如 | 累卵 | |
| Literally: “as precarious as a vertical pile of eggs”. | ||||
Etymology
From Han Feizi, Chapter 10 (《韓非子·十過》):
- 故曹小國也。而迫於晉、楚之間。其君之危猶累卵也。而以無禮蒞之。此所以絕世也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: Han Feizi, circa 2nd century BCE, translated based on W. K. Liao's version
- Gù Cáo xiǎoguó yě. Ér pò yú Jìn, Chǔ zhī jiān. Qí jūn zhī wēi yóu lěi luǎn yě. Ér yǐ wúlǐ lì zhī. Cǐ suǒyǐ juéshì yě. [Pinyin]
- Thus, Cao was a small state pressed between Jin and Chu. Its ruler was in constant danger as piled eggs are, but he accorded the Prince of Qin such a discourteous reception. This was the reason why his posterity was wiped out.
故曹小国也。而迫于晋、楚之间。其君之危犹累卵也。而以无礼莅之。此所以绝世也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
Pronunciation
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