談何容易
See also: 谈何容易
Chinese
Pronunciation
- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin: tánhéróngyì
- Zhuyin: ㄊㄢˊ ㄏㄜˊ ㄖㄨㄥˊ ㄧˋ
- Tongyong Pinyin: tánhéróngyì
- Wade–Giles: tʻan2-ho2-jung2-i4
- Yale: tán-hé-rúng-yì
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tarnherrongyih
- Palladius: таньхэжунъи (tanʹxɛžunʺi)
- Sinological IPA (key): /tʰän³⁵ xɤ³⁵ ʐʊŋ³⁵ i⁵¹/
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Jyutping: taam4 ho4 jung4 ji6
- Yale: tàahm hòh yùhng yih
- Cantonese Pinyin: taam4 ho4 jung4 ji6
- Guangdong Romanization: tam4 ho4 yung4 yi6
- Sinological IPA (key): /tʰaːm²¹ hɔː²¹ jʊŋ²¹ jiː²²/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Middle Chinese: dam ha yowng yeH
- Old Chinese
- (Zhengzhang): /*l'aːm ɡaːl loŋ leːɡs/
Etymology 1
to speak; to talk; to converse to speak; to talk; to converse; to chat; to discuss; surname |
rhetorical construct signifying emphasis in the negative; not tolerated; unacceptable | easy; simple | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| trad. (談何容易) | 談 | 何容 | 易 | |
| simp. (谈何容易) | 谈 | 何容 | 易 | |
Phrase
談何容易
- (chiefly obsolete) it is no easy matter to give good advice (especially to one's superior); to speak is difficult
- 先生曰：「於戲，可乎哉？可乎哉？談何容易！」 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
- From: The Book of Han, circa 1st century CE
- Xiānshēng yuē: “Wūhū, kě hū zāi? Kě hū zāi? Tán héróng yì!” [Pinyin]
- "Alas! May I? I may not! Speeches to one's superior — those easily given will never be accepted!" said Mister Nobody.
先生曰：「於戏，可乎哉？可乎哉？谈何容易！」 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]- 賈生有言：「懇言則辭淺而不入，深言則逆耳而失指。」故曰：「談何容易。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: p. 73 BCE, Huan Kuan (桓寬) (editor). Discourses on Salt and Iron (《鹽鐵論》).
- Gǔshēng yǒu yán: “Kěnyán zé cíqiǎn ér bùrù, shēnyán zé nì'ěr ér shīzhǐ.” Gù yuē: “Tán héróng yì.” [Pinyin]
- Jia Yi said: "Cordial speech tends to be superficial and fails to make an impact, but a penetrating comment grates on the ear and fails to deliver." Hence the saying, "no place for speech made at ease."
贾生有言：「恳言则辞浅而不入，深言则逆耳而失指。」故曰：「谈何容易。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
Etymology 2
to speak; to talk; to converse to speak; to talk; to converse; to chat; to discuss; surname |
carry; what; how carry; what; how; why; which |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| trad. (談何容易) | 談 | 何 | 容易 | |
| simp. (谈何容易) | 谈 | 何 | 容易 | |
| Rebracketing of Etymology 1. | ||||
Idiom
談何容易
- easier said than done
- 韓退之詩，愛憎相過：愛者以爲雖杜子美亦不及，不愛者以爲退之於詩本無所得 […] 俱過矣。以爲子美亦不及者固非，以爲退之於詩本無所得者，談何容易邪！ [Literary Chinese, trad.]
- From: c. mid 12th century, 張戒,《歲寒堂詩話》
- Hán Tuìzhī shī, àizēng xiàng guò: ài zhě yǐwéi suī Dù Zǐměi yì bùjí, bù'ài zhě yǐwéi Tuìzhī yú shī běn wú suǒ dé […] jù guò yǐ. Yǐwéi Zǐměi yì bùjí zhě gù fēi, yǐwéi Tuìzhī yú shī běn wú suǒ dé zhě, tánhéróngyì yé! [Pinyin]
- Regarding Han Yu’s poetry, opinions are sharply divided—those who admire his work claim that even Du Fu could not surpass him, while critics argue that Han Yu has done nothing substantial in poetry. [...] Both are overdone. It is is undoubtedly incorrect to claim that Du Fu falls short of Han Yu, but how can his poetic legacy be ignored as if it were all effortless?
韩退之诗，爱憎相过：爱者以为虽杜子美亦不及，不爱者以为退之于诗本无所得 […] 俱过矣。以为子美亦不及者固非，以为退之于诗本无所得者，谈何容易邪！ [Literary Chinese, simp.]