一言興邦
See also: 一言兴邦
Chinese
one sentence; something to say; brief remark | to make a nation prosper | ||
---|---|---|---|
trad. (一言興邦) | 一言 | 興邦 | |
simp. (一言兴邦) | 一言 | 兴邦 |
Etymology
From the Analects, Book 13 (《論語·子路》):
- 定公問:「一言而可以興邦,有諸?」
- From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
- Dìng Gōng wèn: “Yīyán ér kěyǐ xìngbāng, yǒu zhū?”
Kǒngzǐ duì yuē: “Yán bù kěyǐ ruò shì qí jī yě. Rén zhī yán yuē: ‘Wéi jūn nán, wéi chén bùyì.’ Rú zhī wéi jūn zhī nán yě, bù jī hū yīyán ér xìngbāng hū?” [Pinyin] - The Duke Ding (鲁定公) asked whether there was a single sentence which could make a country prosperous.
Confucius replied, "Such an effect cannot be expected from one sentence. There is a saying, however, which people have ― 'To be a prince is difficult; to be a minister is not easy.' If a ruler knows this ― the difficulty of being a prince ― may there not be expected from this one sentence the prosperity of his country?"
孔子對曰:「言不可以若是其幾也。人之言曰:『為君難,為臣不易。』如知為君之難也,不幾乎一言而興邦乎?」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
定公问:「一言而可以兴邦,有诸?」
孔子对曰:「言不可以若是其几也。人之言曰:『为君难,为臣不易。』如知为君之难也,不几乎一言而兴邦乎?」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
Pronunciation
Idiom
一言興邦
- One inspirational sentence can revitalize a nation.
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