不可同日而語 (Bù kě tóng rì ér yǔ)
(1) lit. mustn’t speak of two things on the same day (idiom); not to be mentioned in the same breath
(2) incomparable
Explanation: Something that cannot be discussed / considered at the same time. It is used to describe two things which have a large gap between them, so that one is unable to mention them in the same sentence.
This idiom came from “Zhanguo Ce – Zhao’s Second Book”.
In the middle and late stages of the Warring States Period, wars between the vassal states were incessant, resulting in the emergence of two political philosophies, the “Vertical Alliance” and the “Horizontal Alliance”. When weak countries joined together to attack a strong country, this was called the Vertical Alliance; and when strong countries followed to attack other weak countries, this was called the Horizontal Alliance. At the time there was a Vertical-Horizontal strategist by the name of Su Qin. He first went to the State of Qin to promote his political ideas to King Hui [Wen] of Qin, but was unsuccessful [with his attempt]. Consequently, he went to the State of Zhao to promote his ideas. The prime minister of Zhao did not like Su Qin, so he again was unsuccessful at this attempt. Later, he came to the State of Yan and got some financial support [on this trip]. After that, he went to the State of Zhao a second time, and on this occasion, the Monarch of Zhao, the Marquess Su of Zhao, personally received him. He analyzed the relationship between Zhao and the other states to Marquess Su: “If Zhao was to become enemy with Qi and Qin, then the people will not have peace; if we were to rely on Qi to attack Qin, then the people will still not have peace. Now, if Your Lord makes peace with Qin, then Qin will definitely use this advantage to weaken Han and Wei; if Your Lord makes peace with Qi, then Qi will definitely use this advantage to weaken Chu and Wei. Wei and Han, once weakened, will cede their land, which will also weaken Chu. In this way, Your Lord will be isolated and rendered helpless.”
Marquess Su was [still] relatively young, he repeatedly nodded in agreement upon seeing how clear and logical Su Qin explained the situation. Next, Su Qin analyzed the strength of the State of Zhao and the situation it was facing: “In fact, none of the states [currently] established in Shandong is stronger than Zhao. Zhao’s territory is two-thousand li horizontally and vertically, its army consists of a hundred thousand men, its war chariots numbered in the thousands, its war horses numbered in the tens of thousands, its provisions could last multiple years. There are mountains and rivers in the west, south, and east; to its north is the weak state of Yan, which needs not be feared. At this moment, Qin is the one who hates Zhao the most among all the states, yet why has it not dared to attack Zhao? It is because it fears Han and Wei would backstab it. This being the case, Han and Wei could be regarded as a protective screen for Zhao in the south. But if Qin was to attack Han and Wei, then that would be most convenient [likely], as they will inevitably submit to Qin. If Qin could remove its worries about the threat of Han and Wei, then the disasters of war would inevitably descend on Zhao. This is the reason why I worry for Your Highness.”
When Marquess Su of Zhao heard this, he was greatly frightened and immediately asked Su Qin of what he should do. Consequently Su Qin said thus: “I have privately examined the map of the world and found that the land of all vassal states put together is five times that of Qin’s; I estimate that the number of soldiers from all vassal states is ten times that of Qin’s; if the six vassal states were to unite as one and work together to advance westward and attack Qin, they will surely be able to defeat it. Or today one can instead face westward to serve Qin, to submit to Qin. How can we talk about defeating others and be defeated by others, [or] making others submit and submitting to others, at the same time?”
Then Su Qin explained how to conduct the specifics of the methodology and strategy of the Vertical Alliance. After Marquess Su of Zhao finished listening, he said: “I am still young, and have [only] been on the throne for a short time. I have never heard of a strategy to ensure long-term stability and peace for a country. Now that you are kind enough to offer a plan for the world’s survival, to obtain stability for all vassal states, I willingly offer my country to help you in your deeds.”
So that Marquess Su of Zhao bestowed Su Qin with many gifts, and ordered him to visit other vassal states to promote his idea and asked them to enter the Vertical Alliance.
—– VOCABULARY —–
差距 chā jù – disparity, gap [[độ chênh lệch, độ khác biệt]]
距 jù – at a distance of; distance; to be apart [[cự: cựa (gà, trĩ …); phiếm chỉ chân; cột, trụ; cách nhau; chống cự; đến, tới]]
相提並論 xiāng tí bìng lùn – to discuss two disparate things together (idiom); to mention on equal terms; to place on a par with; (often with negatives: impossible to mention X in the same breadth as Y)
提 tí – to carry (hanging down from the hand); to lift; to put forward; to mention; to raise (an issue); upwards character stroke; lifting brush stroke (in painting); scoop for measuring liquid [[đề: nâng lên, cầm, dắt; nâng đỡ, dắt cho lên trên, kéo cho tiến lên; nêu ra, đưa ra, bày ra, kể ra; lấy, rút ra, lĩnh; chú ý, cảnh giác; quan đề; cái gáo (để múc chất lỏng)]]
並 bìng – and; furthermore; also; together with; (not) at all; simultaneously; to combine; to join; to merge [[tịnh: cùng lúc, đồng thời; dùng trước một từ phủ định (vô, phi, bất, …) để nhấn mạnh ý phủ định – quyết (không), nhất định (không), thực ra (không); cùng, đều; ngay cả; và, và lại, rồi lại, lại còn]]
豈 qǐ – how? (emphatic question) [[khởi: há, sao; có không; xin, mong, hãy]]
“khởi cảm” 豈敢 há dám, “khởi khả” 豈可 há nên, “khởi bất mậu tai” 豈不謬哉 há chẳng phải là nói bậy ư?
哉 zāi – (exclamatory or interrogative particle) [[tai: mới, vừa mới; biểu thị cảm thán – thay, vậy thay; biểu thị nghi vấn hoặc phản vấn – sao, đâu; khẳng định ngữ khí – chứ, đấy]]
聯合 lián hé – to combine; to join; unite; alliance [[liên hiệp]]
隨從 suí cóng – to accompany; to follow; to attend; entourage; attendant
資助 zī zhù – to subsidize; to provide financial aid; subsidy
資 zī – resources; capital; to provide; to supply; to support; money; expense [[tư: của cải, vốn liếng; tiền lương; tiền của tiêu dùng; bẩm phú, tính chất của trời phú cho; chỗ dựa, chỗ nương nhờ; cái nhờ kinh nghiệm từng trải mà tích lũy cao dần lên mãi; cung cấp, giúp đỡ; tích trữ]]
助 zhù – to help; to assist [[trợ: giúp]]
接著 jiē zhe – to catch and hold on; to continue; to go on to do sth; to follow; to carry on; then; after that; subsequently; to proceed; to ensue; in turn; in one’s turn
肅 sù – respectful; solemn; to eliminate; to clean up [[túc: cung kính; trang trọng, nghiêm túc; nhiêm khắc; cấp bách, gấp kíp; u tĩnh, yên tĩnh; kính sợ; cảnh giới, răn bảo; chỉnh lí, sửa sang; thu liễm, rụt lại; tiến ra đón, mời vào]]
分析 fēn xī – to analyze; analysis [[phân tích]]
析 xī – to separate; to divide; to analyze [[tích: bửa, chẻ; chia ra, tách ra; giải thích, biện giải]]
敵 dí – enemy; to be a match for; to rival; to resist; to withstand [[địch: kẻ thù; thù nghịch; ngang, bằng, tương đương; chống cự, chống đối]]
那麽 nà me – variant of 那麼 – like that; in that way; or so; so; so very much; about; in that case
依靠 yī kào – to rely on sth (for support etc); to depend on [[tùy vào, tùy theo]]
依 yī – to depend on; to comply with or listen to sb; according to; in the light of [[y – dựa, tựa; nương nhờ; theo cách sẵn có, làm theo lối đã định; nghe theo, thuận theo; như cũ, như trước]]
削弱 xuē ruò – to weaken; to impair; to cripple [[làm suy yếu]]
削 xuē – to pare; to reduce; to remove [[tước: vót, gọt, đẽo; chia cắt; trù bỏ, đoạt hẳn; suy giảm, yếu mòn; bóc lột; quở trách]]
割 gē – to cut; to cut apart [[cát: cắt, gặt, xẻo; chia, phân; dứt bỏ, đoạn tuyệt; tổn hại; tai họa]]
孤立 gū lì – isolate; isolated [[cô lập, cách ly]]
孤 gū – lone, lonely [[cô: mồ côi; lẻ loi, đơn độc; cô lậu, không biết gì cả; độc đặc, đặc xuất; nhỏ; xa; quái dị, ngang trái]]
援 yuán – to help; to assist; to aid [[viên: vin, dựa theo; cầm, nắm; dẫn ra, đưa ra; tiến dẫn; viện: cứu giúp, cứu trợ]]
比較 bǐ jiào – to compare; to contrast; comparatively; relatively; quite; comparison [[so sánh, so với; hơn (so sánh)]]
頭頭是道 tóu tóu shì dào – clear and logical
不住 bù zhù – repeatedly, continuously, constantly, unable to (resist, conceal, etc)
住地 zhù dì – living area; residential area
點頭 diǎn tóu – to nod
實力 shí lì – strength [[thực lực, sức mạnh]]
實 shí – real; true; honest; really; solid; fruit; seed; definitely [[thật: giàu có, sung túc; đầy, không còn chỗ trống; đúng, chân xác; chân thành, không hư dối; sự tích, sự việc có thật; các phẩm vật; quả, trái cây; hột, hạt trái cây]]
面臨 miàn lín – to face sth; to be confronted with
臨 lín – to face; to overlook; to arrive; to be (just) about to; just before [[lâm: từ trên cao nhìn xuống, như “giám lâm” 監臨 soi xét, “đăng lâm” 登臨 lên cao ngắm nhìn; xuống tới, đến (bậc trên đối với bậc dưới); giữ lấy, thủ vệ; tiến đánh; đi tới, đến nơi; kề, gần; đối mặt, gặp phải; mô phỏng, rập khuôn]]
形勢 xíng shì – circumstances; situation; terrain [[hoàn cảnh, tình huống]]
縱橫 zòng héng – lit. warp and weft in weaving; vertically and horizontal; length and breadth; criss-crossed; able to move unhinderred [[tung hoành]]
輛 liàng – classifier for vehicles [[cỗ xe (để đếm số lượng xe)]]
糧食 liáng shi – foodstuff; cereals
糧 liáng – grain; food; provisions; agricultural tax paid in grain [[lương: thức ăn thuộc loại ngũ cốc, lương ăn; các vật dùng trong quân; thuế ruộng]]
支 zhī – to support; to sustain; to erect; to raise; branch; division; to draw money; classifier for rods such as pens and guns, for army divisions and for songs or compositions [[chi: cành, thông “chi” 枝; tránh, nhánh, bộ phận; chân tay, thông “chi” 肢; nói tắt của “địa chi” 地支: “tí, sửu, dần, mão, thìn, tị, ngọ, vị (mùi), thân, dậu, tuất, hợi” 子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, 巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉, 戌, 亥 gọi là mười hai “chi”, cũng gọi là mười hai “địa chi”; chống, đỡ, giữ; chịu đựng; tiêu ra; điều khiển, sai khiến]]
燕 yàn – swallow (family Hirundinidae); Yan, a vassal state of Zhou in modern Hebei and Liaoning [[yến: chim én; yên nghỉ; vui họp uống rượu, thông “yến” 讌, “yến” 宴. ◎Như: “yến ẩm” 燕飲 uống rượu; quen, nhờn; một âm là “yên”, nước “Yên”, đất “Yên”, họ “Yên”]]
值得 zhí de – to be worth, to deserve
值 zhí – value; (to be) worth; to happen to; to be on duty [[trị: giá; đáng giá; trực; gặp; cầm, nắm giữ]]
忌恨 jì hèn – hate (due to envy etc) [[đố kỵ, ghen ghét, ghen tị]]
忌 jì – to be jealous of; fear; dread; scruple; to avoid or abstain from; to quit; to give up sth [[kị: ghen ghét; sợ, e dè; kiêng, cử; hay ghen, hay ganh; điều kiêng cử, cai, chừa]]
害怕 hài pà – to be afraid; to be scared [[kinh hãi, hoảng sợ]]
既然 jì rán – since; as; this being the case [[bởi vì]]
屏障 píng zhàng – protective screen [[màn chắn bảo vệ]]
屏 píng – (standing) screen [[bình: bức tường nhỏ ngay cửa; chỉ chung các vật như bức tường che chắn; bức chắn gió, bức bình phong; bức thư họa trang trí trong nhà; che chở, bảo hộ; che giấu, che lấp]]
障 zhàng – to block; to hinder; to obstruct [[chướng: cản trở, ngăn; che lấp; bảo hộ, phòng vệ; bờ đê; màn che cửa, bình phong]]
倒是 dào shi – contrary to what one might expect; actually; contrariwise; why don’t you
倒 dào – to place upside down; to invert; to pour; to throw out; to move backwards; however; actually; as a matter of fact; contrary to expectation [[đảo: trái lại, ngược lại, lại; nhưng mà, tuy là; cũng, tuy cũng; lại càng, rất là]]
方便 fāng biàn – convenient; suitable; to facilitate; to make things easy; having money to spare; (euphemism) to relieve oneself
屈服 qū fú – to surrender, to yield [[khuất phục, đầu hàng, từ bỏ, quy phục]]
屈 qū – bent; to feel wronged [[khuất: oan ức, ủy khúc; làm cho cong, co lại; hàng phục; cong, không thẳng; thiếu sót, không đủ vững; miễn cưỡng, gượng ép; oan uổng]]
解除 jiě chú – to remove; to sack; to get rid of; to relieve (sb of their duties); to free; to lift (an embargo); to rescind (an agreemend)
顧慮 gù lǜ – misgivings; apprehensions
顧 gù – to look after; to take into consideration; to attend to [[cố: trông lại, ngoảnh lại nhìn; nhìn, ngắm, xem xét; tới thăm, bái phỏng; chú ý, trông nom, săn sóc; nhưng, song, chẳng qua, chỉ vì; mà lại, trái lại; chỉ là, mà là]]
慮 lǜ – to think over; to consider; anxiety [[lự: nỗi lo, mối ưu tư; tâm tư, ý niệm; nghĩ toan, mưu toan; lo lắng, ưu sầu; thẩm sát, xem xét]]
降臨 jiàng lín – to descend; to arrive; to come
替 tì – to substitute for; to take the place of; to replace; for; on behalf of; to stand in for [[trừ, bỏ; thay; suy bại; vì, cho; đối với, hướng; và, với]]
私下 sī xià – in private
估計 gū jì – to estimate; to reckon; (coll.) to suppose [[đánh giá, ước tính]]
估 gū – estimate [[cổ: đánh giá, ước tính, như “cổ giá” 估價 đánh giá]]
整體 zhěng tǐ – whole entity; entire body; synthesis; as a whole (situation, construction, team etc); global; macrocosm; integral; holistic; whole [[chỉnh thể, toàn bộ, tất cả]]
整 zhěng – exactly; in good order; whole; complete; entire; in order; orderly; to repair; to mend; to renovate; (coll.) to fix sb; to give sb a hard time; to mess with sb [[chỉnh: sửa sang, an trị; sửa chữa, tu sửa, sửa; tập hợp; đều, ngay ngắn, có thứ tự; nguyên vẹn, nguyên; suốt, cả; vừa đúng, tròn, chẵn]]
協力 xié lì – to unite in common effort [[hiệp lực, cùng chung sức]]
協 xié – to cooperate; to harmonize; to help; to assist; to join [[hiệp: hòa hợp; giúp đỡ, phụ trợ; cùng nhau, chung]]
反而 fǎn ér – instead; on the contrary; contrary (to expectations) [[trái mong muốn, trái dự định]]
侍奉 shì fèng – to wait upon; to serve; to attend to sb’s needs
侍 shì – to serve; to attend upon [[thị: trông nom, săn sóc, dưỡng; hầu hạ, phục dịch; người hầu]]
講 jiǎng – to speak; to explain; to negotiate; to emphasize; to be particular about; as far as sth is concerned; speech; lecture [[giảng: hòa giải, thương nghị; dùng lời nói cho hiểu rõ nghĩa, thuyết minh; nói, bàn, kể, trình bày; chú ý, chú trọng; xét, so sánh cao thấp; mưu toan]]
如何 rú hé – how; what way; what [[thế nào, cái nào, cách nào]]
搞 gǎo – to do, to make, to go in for, to set up, to get hold of, to take care of [[cảo: làm, tiến hành, khai mở]]
短 duǎn – short; brief; to lack; weak point; fault [[đoản: ngắn; non, kém, nông cạn; chết non, chết yểu; khuyết điểm, cái kém cỏi; thiếu; chỉ trích khuyết điểm, điều lỗi của người khác]]
不曾 bù céng – hasn’t yet; hasn’t ever [[chưa bao giờ]]
長治久安 cháng zhì jiǔ ān – long-term peace and stability (of governments)
誠懇 chéng kěn – sincere; honest; cordial
懇 kěn – earnest [[khẩn: chân thành; thỉnh cầu, cầu xin]]
傾 qīng – to overturn; to collapse; to lean; to tend; to incline; to pour out [[khuynh: nghiêng về một bên, xu hướng; nghiêng đổ, sụp đổ; dốc ra; bội phục, ngưỡng mộ; làm cho nghiêng ngửa, áp đảo, thắng hơn; cạnh tranh, tranh giành; bị nguy ngập]]
賞賜 shǎng cì – to bestow; to confer (a reward for service); a reward