以卵擊石 (Yǐ luǎn jī shí)
(1) lit. to strike a stone with egg (idiom); to attempt the impossible
(2) to invite disaster by overreaching oneself
From link.
Source: Warring States – Xun Kuang (荀況)’s ‘Xunzi – Discussion on Military Matters (荀子·議兵)’ – For Jie acting like Yao is akin to using an egg to strike a rock, or wrapping a finger around a boiling pot.
Xunzi was a Chinese philosopher, writer, politician, and a representative figure of Confucianism in the Warring States period, and was given the honorific name Xunqing (荀卿) by others. In his youth, he traveled to the State of Qi to study, and due to his profound knowledge he had thrice served as the Chief of Qi’s Jixia Academy. Later, through invitation by King Zhao of Qin, he traveled west to study in Qin. Afterwards, he again went to Zhao, then was appointed as the Magistrate of Lanling (蘭陵令) by Lord Chunshen of Chu. He mainly spent his last years engaged in writing and educating others.
Once, Xunzi and Lord Linwu (臨武君) debated the way of using military force in front of King Xiaocheng of Zhao (孝成王). King Xiaocheng asked: “May I ask what is the key to using military forces?” Lord Linwu replied: “To have the advantages of heaven and earth, to observe the enemy’s changing actions, and although one may be behind the enemy in deploying troops one will get there first: these are the essences of using military forces.”
Xunzi replied: “That’s not the case. I have heard that the key in using military forces by men from ancient time was to unite the common people. If the bows and arrows are not in concert with one another, then even someone adept at archery like Houyi wouldn’t be able to hit the target; if the six horses do not work together, then even Zaofu (造父), who is proficient at driving coaches, wouldn’t be able to get the coach to its destination; if court officials are not close to the common people but instead are attached to their lord, then even Tang of Shang or King Wu of Zhou wouldn’t be victorious. Hence, those who are adept at getting the common people to rely on them are those who are adept at using military forces. This, therefore is the key to military strategies.”
Lord Linwu took exception to this and said: “That is not so. What matters in using military forces is the terrain. If favorable, one should pay attention to the treacherous, changeable actions [of the battlefield]. People who are adept at using military forces would act [under a cloud of mystery], where no one could predict where they would strike [next]. Sunzi and Wuqi were invincible [on the battlefield] through the use of this sort of tactics, did they need the support of the people [at all]?”
Xunzi disagreed with him and said: “Not so. What I said earlier was regarding benevolent men’s way of using military forces and kings’ ambitions in ruling the world, whereas you place emphasis on tactics and strategems, and the advantages and disadvantages of the terrain. A benevolent man’s use of military forces does not involve deceptions. Those who rely on the use of deceptions are those who are proud and arrogant, those who are tired and weak, as well as those who are at odds with one another or being alienated from one another, whether this is between rulers and subjects, or superiors and their subordinates. As such, it maybe possible to use Jie of Xia’s deceptive means to deal with people like Jie of Xia; but using Jie of Xia’s deceptive means to deal with people like Yao is akin to throwing an egg at a rock or stirring boiling water with one’s finger, which is also like plunging oneself into water and fire, whereby you will either immolate yourself or drown.”
—– VOCABULARY —–
荀 xún – herb (old) [[tuân: tên một nước đời Chu, nay ở vào tỉnh Sơn Tây; cỏ “tuân”, theo “Sơn Hải Kinh” 山海經, phụ nữ dùng cỏ này sẽ thành người đẹp]]
況 kuàng – moreover; situation [[huống: tình hình, trạng thái, tình cảnh; ân huệ; nước lạnh; so sánh, ví dụ; bái phỏng, tới thăm; thêm, càng; phương chi, nữa là]]
譬 pì – to give an example [[thí: ví như, dùng thí dụ để nói cho rõ; nói cho rõ, thuyết minh; hiểu rõ, minh bạch; ví dụ]]
卵 luǎn – egg; ovum; spawn [[noãn: trứng; tế bào sinh dục của giống cái; hạt dái, dịch hoàn; phiếm chỉ sinh thực khí của đàn ông; tục dùng làm tiếng mắng chửi; đẻ trứng, ấp trứng; trắng xanh]]
繞 rào – to wind; to coil (thread); to rotate around; to spiral; to move around; to go round (an obstacle); to by-pass; to make a detour; to confuse; to perplex [[nhiễu: vòng quanh, vây quanh; đi vòng quanh, vòng vo; đi đường vòng, tránh không đi theo lối chính]]
沸 fèi – to boil [[phí: sôi; vọt ra, tuôn trào; náo động, huyên náo; sôi; ồn òa, rầm rĩ]]
稷 jì – millet; God of cereals worshiped by ancient rulers; minister of agriculture [[tắc: (1) lúa tễ, còn gọi là “tiểu mễ” 小米. (2) Lúa nếp có hai loại, loại có nhựa dính gọi là “thử” 黍, loại không dính gọi là “tắc” 稷. (3) Cao lương; thần lúa; ngày xưa cho rằng lúa “tắc” quý nhất trong trăm giống lúa, cho nên gọi thần lúa là “tắc”; chức quan coi về việc làm ruộng; nhanh, mau; xế, xế bóng (mặt trời)]]
祭酒 jì jiǔ – to offer a libation; person who performs the libation before a banquet; senior member of a profession; important government post in imperial China
聘請 pìn qǐng – to engage; to hire (a lawyer etc)
聘 pìn – to engage (a teacher etc); to hire; to betroth; betrothal gift; to get married (of woman) [[sính: tìm hỏi, mời đón (nghe biết ai có tài có đức sinh lòng kính lễ, lấy các đồ quý báu đến tặng để cầu thân hay xin giúp đỡ); hỏi thăm, các nước sai sứ đi thông hiếu với nhau (ngày xưa); đính hôn; lễ cưới hoặc lễ vật đem đến giạm hỏi cưới]]
任用 rèn yòng – to appoint; to assign
協調 xié tiáo – to coordinate; to harmonize; to fit together; to match (colors etc); harmonious; concerted [[kết hợp, phối hợp]]
后羿 Hòu Yì – Houyi, mythological Chinese archer whose wife was Chang’e
羿 yì – [[nghệ: tên người]]
即便 jí biàn – even if; even though; right away; immediately [[dù cho, dù có, ngay cả khi]]
駕馭 jià yù – to urge on (of horse); to drive; to steer; to handle; to manage; to master; to dominate
馭 yù – to drive; to manage; to control [[ngự: cầm giữ, điều khiển xe, ngựa; khống chế, tiết chế; cưỡi; người đánh xe, ngựa]]
依附 yī fù – to adhere; to attach oneself to; to append
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]]
附 fù – to add; to attach; to be close to; to be attached [[phụ: bám, nương cậy, dựa, như “y phụ” 依附 nương tựa; theo, tuân phục; sát gần, ghé; ưng theo, tán thành; tương hợp, phù hợp; thêm, làm tăng thêm; gửi; thêm vào, tùy thuộc]]
講究 jiǎng jiu – to pay particular attention to; carefully selected for quality; tastefully chosen
詭詐 guǐ zhà – sly; treacherous
詭 guǐ – sly; crafty [[quỷ: yêu cầu, đòi hỏi; làm trái lại; dối trá, giảo hoạt; lạ lùng, kì dị, đặc thù]]
詐 zhà – to cheat; to swindle; to pretend; to feign; to draw sb out; to try to extract information by deceit or bluff [[trá: lừa gạt; ngụy trang, giả làm; dùng lời nói để thăm dò người khác, dọa; giả dối, hư ngụy; hốt nhiên, chợt]]
預料 yù liào – to forecast; to anticipate; expectation
欺詐 qī zhà – to cheat [[lừa đảo, gian lận, bịp bợm]]
疲憊 pí bèi – beaten; exhausted; tired
疲 pí – weary [[bì: mỏi mệt; già yếu, suy nhược; sụt giá, thị trường ế ẩm, yếu kém; làm cho nhọc nhằn, lao lụy; chán nản, chán ngán, cảm thấy mệt mỏi]]
憊 bèi – exhausted [[bại: mỏi mệt]]
離心 lí xīn – centrifugal (force)
砸 zá – to smash; to pound; to fail; to muck up; to bungle [[tạp: ném, liệng, gieo xuống; đè, ép; giã, đâm; làm hư, đập vỡ; hỏng, thất bại]]
攪動 jiǎo dòng – to mix; to stir [[quấy, khuấy, trộn, nhào]]
攪 jiǎo – to disturb; to annoy; to mix; to stir [[giảo: quấy phá, làm rối loạn; quấy, khuấy, trộn lẫn; cảo: làm, liệu; tạo thành]]
滾水 gǔn shuǐ – boiling water
滾 gǔn – to boil; to roll; to take a hike; Get lost! [[cổn: cuồn cuộn (nước chảy); lăn, xoay, viên, nặn; cút, bước, xéo; sôi (dùng cho chất lỏng); viền (để trang sức trên quần áo); rất, lắm, quá]]
投身 tóu shēn – to throw oneself into sth
淹 yān – to flood; to submerge; to drown; to irritate the skin (of liquids); to delay [[yêm: ngâm nước, ngập nước, chìm đắm; kéo dài, để lâu ngày; rịn, thấm; sâu xa, sâu sắc]]