挾泰山以超北海
Chinese
| clasp under the arm; coerce; hold between | Mount Tai | to use; according to; so as to to use; according to; so as to; in order to; by; with; because; Israel (abbrev.) |
to exceed; overtake; surpass to exceed; overtake; surpass; transcend; ultra-; super-; to pass; to cross |
the most remote area in the north; North Sea | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| trad. (挾泰山以超北海) | 挾 | 泰山 | 以 | 超 | 北海 | |
| simp. (挟泰山以超北海) | 挟 | 泰山 | 以 | 超 | 北海 | |
| alternative forms | 挾太山以超北海／挟太山以超北海 | |||||
| Literally: “to hold Mount Tai under the arm and cross the North Sea”. | ||||||
Etymology
From Mencius:
- 曰：「挾太山以超北海，語人曰『我不能』，是誠不能也。為長者折枝，語人曰『我不能』，是不為也，非不能也。故王之不王，非挾太山以超北海之類也；王之不王，是折枝之類也。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: Mencius, c. 4th century BCE
- Yuē: “Xié tàishān yǐ chāo běihǎi, yù rén yuē ‘wǒ bùnéng’, shì chéng bùnéng yě. Wèi chángzhě zhé zhī, yù rén yuē ‘wǒ bùnéng’, shì bùwéi yě, fēi bùnéng yě. Gù wáng zhī bù wàng, fēi xié tàishān yǐ chāo běihǎi zhī lèi yě; wáng zhī bù wàng, shì zhé zhī zhī lèi yě.” [Pinyin]
- Mencius replied,'In such a thing as taking the Tai mountain under your arm, and leaping over the north sea with it, if you say to people "I am not able to do it," that is a real case of not being able. In such a matter as breaking off a branch from a tree at the order of a superior, if you say to people "I am not able to do it," that is a case of not doing it, it is not a case of not being able to do it. Therefore your Majesty's not exercising the royal sway, is not such a case as that of taking the Tai mountain under your arm, and leaping over the north sea with it. Your Majesty's not exercising the royal sway is a case like that of breaking off a branch from a tree.
曰：「挟太山以超北海，语人曰『我不能』，是诚不能也。为长者折枝，语人曰『我不能』，是不为也，非不能也。故王之不王，非挟太山以超北海之类也；王之不王，是折枝之类也。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
Pronunciation
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