(2017Translation) 矛盾

Primary Document

Title
English	Spear and shield
Chinese	矛盾
Korean(RR)	모순
Document Details
Genre
Type
Author(s)	Han Fei zi 韓非子
Year
Key Concepts
Translation Info
Translator(s)	Participants of 2017 Summer Hanmun Workshop (Intermediate Training Group)
Editor(s)
Year	2017

Original Script

楚人有鬻楯與矛者，譽之曰吾楯之堅，莫能陷也。又譽其矛曰吾矛之利，於物無不陷也。或曰以子之矛陷子之楯，何如？其人弗能應也。夫不可陷之楯與無不陷之矛，不可同世而立。《韓非.難一》

Translation

[sample] Instructor : Young Kyun Oh

In the state of Chu (Chinese: 楚), there was a man who sold shields and spears. Praising the spear, he said, "As for the sturdiness of my shield, nothing can break through it." Praising the spear, he said, "As for the sharpness of my spear, [when it is applied] on things, there is nothing it does not break through." Someone said, "If you break through your shield with your spear, what would it be like?" The man could not respond to it. A shield that cannot be broken through and a spear that can break through anything cannot sustain sharing the same time.

Student 1 : Sanghoon Na

There was a man in the state of Chu, who was selling shields and spears. He praised them saying: “My shields are sturdy, and nothing can sink into them.” Again, he praised his spears saying:“My spears are sharp to anything, [so] there is nothing that they cannot sink into.” Someone asked: “If you pierced your shield with your spear, what would it be like?” The man could not answer. So a shield that cannot be pierced and a spear that can pierce anything cannot coexist in the world.

Student 2 : Younès M'Ghari

Among the people of Chu, there was someone selling spears and shields; he was praising them saying: "[With] The solidity of my shield, nothing can go through [it]." Again, he praised his spear saying: "[With] The sharpness of my spear, there is nothing that it does not go through." Someone said: "Your spear going through your shield, how would that be ?" To this, he could not answer. As a matter of fact, a shield that nothing can go through and a spear that can go through anything cannot coexist in the same time.

Student 3 : Petra Sváková

Among the people of the state Chu, there was a man who was selling a spear and a shield and he was praising them and said: "My shield is so strong that nothing can pierce it." Also he praised his spear saying: "There is nothing among things the sharpness of my spear cannot penetrate." Someone said: "[What if I try to] Pierce your shield with your spear, how would that be?" He could not response to that. So the shield which cannot be penetrated and the spear which cannot be pierced, they cannot exist in the same generation.

Student 4 : (Write your name)

In the state of Chu there was a man who sold shields and spears.

Praising them, he said: "The sturdiness of my shields [is such that] nothing can pierce them."

Again praising his spears, he said: "The sharpness of my spears against anything [is such that there is] nothing [it] pierces not."

Someone asked, "Using your spears to pierce your shields, how's that like?"

He could not answer.

So, a shield that cannot be pierced and a spear [with] nothing [it] pierces not cannot [in the] same world exist.

Student 5 : (Jae Yong Chang)

There was a man in the state of Chu who was selling a shield and a spear. (He was) proudly saying that my shield was so strong that nothing made it damaged. Saying again, my spear was also so sharp on anything that it’s impossible to be damaged. A person asked if you were to take your spear to strike your shield, what would it happen? Then he couldn’t be answered. Generally speaking, a shield that cannot be damaged and a spear that cannot be damaged, it cannot be in the same world and existed.

Student 6 : (Goeun Lee)

Among the Chu people, there was a person selling shields and spears. Proudly he said, “My shield is strong, so nothing can make a hole in it!” He also boasted his spears saying, “My spear is sharp, so there is nothing it cannot penetrate.” Someone asked, “Try your spear on your shield to make a hole. How about that?”That person was unable to answer. Surely it is impossible that a shield which is unpenetrable and a spear which penetrates everything coexist in the same age.

Student 7 : (Alexandre Le Marchand)

In the kingdom of Chu was a man selling spears and shields. He praises it saying this: “the hardness of my shields, there is nothing that can break through it”. And then he adds praise about he’s shield saying: “the sharpness of my spear, there is nothing it can’t be damage by it”. Someone said: “What about using one of your spears to break through one of your shields?” The seller was unable to respond to this. Well, there is no way a spear is damageable without any damaged shield. It cannot occur at the same moment and both standing up. it do not damaging a shield.

Student 8 : (Bryan Sauvadet)

楚人有鬻楯與矛者，譽之曰吾楯之堅，莫能陷也。

In the kingdom of Chu 楚 , there was a man who sells shields and spears. He praised the hardness of his shields; such he said “To the views of my shields, nothing can break through it.”

又譽其矛曰吾矛之利，於物無不陷也。

Also, he praised his spear and said “To the hardness of my spears, there is nothing it cannot spike into.

或曰以子之矛陷子之楯，何如？

Someone question the seller and said “If you pierce your shield with your spear, what’s going to happens?”

其人弗能應也。

The man couldn’t respond.

夫不可陷之楯與無不陷之矛，不可同世而立。

So, a shield that cannot be pierced and a spear that can pierce anything cannot share a generation and stand together.

《韓非.難一》

Student 9 : HeeJin Lee

Among the people of Chu, [there was] one who sold shields and spears, [he] praised them [and] said the firmness of my shields, nothing is able to pierce [them]. Again [he] praised his spears [and] said the sharpness of my spears, among things there is nothing that they cannot pierce. Someone said use your spears to pierce your shields, how can that be? He was not able to respond to this. It is the case that a shield that cannot be pierced and a spear that does not pierce nothing cannot share and stand in [the same] age.

Student 10 : Jelena Gledić

In the state of Chu, there was a man who sold shields and spears. Praising them, he would say: “My shield is so sturdy that nothing can pierce it.” And then, lauding his spears, he would continue: “My spear is so sharp, there is nothing it cannot pierce.” Someone asked: “And if your spear were to pierce your shield, what would happen?” The man was unable to answer. A shield that cannot be pierced and a spear that can pierce anything cannot exist in the same realm. "Han Feizi"

Student 11 : (Write your name)

Student 12 : (Write your name)

Student 13 : Ra YeonJae

There was a person who sells spears and shields among the people of Chu. Praising them and he said, “the strongness of my shields is like that nothing can go through.” Also, praising the shields and he said, “the sharpness of my spear is like that cannot go through nothing.” Someone asked, “if go through your shield with your spear, how would that be?” The seller could not respond to that. Therefore, a shield that cannot be gone through and a spear that cannot go through nothing could not exist and stand in the same time.