兵革

兵革

1. (literary) weaponry; implements of war

   • 凡兵革者，所以備害也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     凡兵革者，所以备害也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Han Feizi, circa 2^nd century BCE

     Fán bīnggé zhě, suǒyǐ bèi hài yě. [Pinyin]

     In general, weapons and armour are for providing against harm.

   • 域民不以封疆之界，固國不以山谿之險，威天下不以兵革之利。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     域民不以封疆之界，固国不以山谿之险，威天下不以兵革之利。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Yù mín bùyǐ fēngjiāng zhī jiè, gù guó bùyǐ shānxī zhī xiǎn, wēi tiānxià bùyǐ bīnggé zhī lì. [Pinyin]

     A people is bounded in, not by the limits of dykes and borders; a State is secured, not by the strengths of mountains and rivers; the kingdom is overawed, not by the sharpness and strength of arms.

2. (literary, metonymically) war; military action

   • 是時漢兵與項羽相距，中國罷於兵革；以故冒頓得自彊，控弦之士三十餘萬。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     是时汉兵与项羽相距，中国罢于兵革；以故冒顿得自强，控弦之士三十余万。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

     Shìshí Hàn bīng yǔ Xiàng Yǔ xiāng jù, Zhōngguó pí yú bīnggé; yǐgù Mòdú dé zìqiáng, kòngxiánzhīshì sānshí yú wàn. [Pinyin]

     At that time, Han and Xiang Yu's forces were locked against each other, and the Zhongguo was being exhausted by war. As a result, Modu was able to strengthen himself and mobilized a force of over three hundred thousand archers.

   • 長平之坑，老少並陷；萬數之中，必有長命未當死之人，遭時衰微，兵革並起，不得終其壽。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     长平之坑，老少并陷；万数之中，必有长命未当死之人，遭时衰微，兵革并起，不得终其寿。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Wang Chong, Lun Heng (Discussive Weighing), 80 CE, translated based on Alfred Forke's version

     Chángpíng zhī kēng, lǎoshào bìng xiàn; wànshù zhī zhōng, bìyǒu chángmìng wèi dāng sǐ zhī rén, zāo shí shuāiwēi, bīnggé bìngqǐ, bùdé zhōng qí shòu. [Pinyin]

     [A]t Changping the aged and the young were buried to the last. Among the tens of thousands, there were certainly many who had still a long life before them and ought not to have died. But they happen to live in a time of decay, when war breaks out everywhere, and cannot live their long lives to die of old age.

• (war):

• (antonym(s) of “war”):