Words & phrases
Model sentences
商人前后的两种说法互相矛盾。
shāng rén qián hòu de liǎng zhǒng shuō fǎ hù xiāng máo dùn。
The merchant's two claims contradict each other.
他夸口说自己的矛锋利无比。
tā kuā kǒu shuō zì jǐ de máo fēng lì wú bǐ。
He boasts that the point of his spear is incomparably sharp.
他又说自己的盾非常坚固，任何矛都刺不穿。
tā yòu shuō zì jǐ de dùn fēi cháng jiān gù， rèn hé máo dōu cì bù chuān。
He also says that his shield is so solid that no spear can pierce it.
精卫每天衔来小石子，想把大海填平。
jīng wèi měi tiān xián lái xiǎo shí zi， xiǎng bǎ dà hǎi tián píng。
Jingwei carries small stones each day, hoping to fill the sea.
困难没有改变精卫坚持下去的决心。
kùn nán méi yǒu gǎi biàn jīng wèi jiān chí xià qù de jué xīn。
The difficulties do not change Jingwei's determination to continue.
检验一种说法，要看它能不能经得起提问。
jiǎn yàn yì zhǒng shuō fǎ， yào kàn tā néng bù néng jīng de qǐ tí wèn。
To test a claim, we should see whether it can withstand questions.
成语故事
一个卖兵器的人夸自己的矛，声称没有什么挡得住它；接着，他又夸自己的盾，说没有什么刺得穿它。
yí ge mài bīng qì de rén kuā zì jǐ de máo， shēng chēng méi yǒu shén me dǎng de zhù tā； jiē zhe， tā yòu kuā zì jǐ de dùn， shuō méi yǒu shén me cì de chuān tā。
A weapons seller claims his spear can pierce anything, then claims his shield can resist everything.
听众问：“如果用你的矛刺你的盾，会怎样？”卖兵器的人张了张嘴，却不知道该怎样回答。
tīng zhòng wèn：“rú guǒ yòng nǐ de máo cì nǐ de dùn， huì zěn yàng？” mài bīng qì de rén zhāng le zhāng zuǐ， què bù zhī dào gāi zěn yàng huí dá。
A listener asks, “What happens if your spear strikes your shield?” The seller opens his mouth but has no answer.
那人看看手里的矛，又看看旁边的盾，想再加一句解释，却发现无论怎样回答，都得改变刚才的一种说法。他原想用绝对的赞美吸引大家，没想到正是这两句夸口，把自己困在了同一个问题里。
nà rén kàn kan shǒu lǐ de máo， yòu kàn kan páng biān de dùn， xiǎng zài jiā yī jù jiě shì， què fā xiàn wú lùn zěn yàng huí dá， dōu děi gǎi biàn gāng cái de yì zhǒng shuō fǎ。 tā yuán xiǎng yòng jué duì de zàn měi xī yǐn dà jiā， méi xiǎng dào zhèng shì zhè liǎng jù kuā kǒu， bǎ zì jǐ kùn zài le tóng yí ge wèn tí lǐ。
The seller realises every answer requires changing one claim. The absolute praise meant to attract customers has trapped him in a contradiction.
周围的人望着矛和盾，渐渐笑起来，卖兵器的人收起东西，再也不敢像刚才那样夸口了。
zhōu wéi de rén wàng zhe máo hé dùn， jiàn jiàn xiào qǐ lai， mài bīng qì de rén shōu qǐ dōng xi， zài yě bù gǎn xiàng gāng cái nà yàng kuā kǒu le。
The crowd looks at the weapons and starts laughing; the seller packs up and stops boasting.
另一则神话中，一个女孩遭遇不幸，变成名叫精卫的小鸟，决定衔来树枝和石子，把大海填平。
lìng yì zé shén huà zhōng， yí ge nǚ hái zāo yù bù xìng， biàn chéng míng jiào jīng wèi de xiǎo niǎo， jué dìng xián lái shù zhī hé shí zi， bǎ dà hǎi tián píng。
In another myth, a girl suffers misfortune and becomes the bird Jingwei, determined to fill the sea with twigs and stones.
精卫每天衔着小石子和树枝，往返在山与海之间，海浪很大，它却没有停下。
jīng wèi měi tiān xián zhe xiǎo shí zi hé shù zhī， wǎng fǎn zài shān yǔ hǎi zhī jiān， hǎi làng hěn dà， tā què méi yǒu tíng xià。
Jingwei carries small stones and twigs between the mountain and the sea every day, continuing despite the huge waves.
早晨，她飞到山边寻找石子，傍晚，又带着树枝来到海面，浪涛一次次卷走它们，她却继续往返。
zǎo chén， tā fēi dào shān biān xún zhǎo shí zi， bàng wǎn， yòu dài zhe shù zhī lái dào hǎi miàn， làng tāo yí cì cì juǎn zǒu tā men， tā què jì xù wǎng fǎn。
Morning and evening she brings stones and twigs from the mountain, continuing even as waves repeatedly carry them away.
大海的声音轰隆隆地响，小鸟的身体那么小，翅膀却仍然一次次展开，向同一个方向飞去。
dà hǎi de shēng yīn hōng lōng lōng de xiǎng， xiǎo niǎo de shēn tǐ nà me xiǎo， chì bǎng què réng rán yí cì cì zhǎn kāi， xiàng tóng yí ge fāng xiàng fēi qù。
The sea roars around the tiny bird, whose wings keep opening towards the same destination.
夕阳照着她的羽毛，新的一天还没有到来，她已经在寻找下一根可以带走的树枝。
xī yáng zhào zhe tā de yǔ máo， xīn de yì tiān hái méi yǒu dào lái， tā yǐ jīng zài xún zhǎo xià yì gēn kě yǐ dài zǒu de shù zhī。
Sunset lights her feathers as she searches for the next twig, already preparing before another day begins.
Conversation
A 自相矛盾里的两句话哪里有问题？
zì xiāng máo dùn lǐ de liǎng jù huà nǎ lǐ yǒu wèn tí？
What is wrong with the two claims?
B 矛能刺穿一切，盾又挡住一切，两者不能同时成立。
máo néng cì chuān yī qiè， dùn yòu dǎng zhù yī qiè， liǎng zhě bù néng tóng shí chéng lì。
A spear piercing everything and a shield blocking everything cannot both exist as claimed.
A 听众用了什么办法？
tīng zhòng yòng le shén me bàn fǎ？
How does the listener challenge them?
B 把两句话放在一起，提出可以检验的问题。
bǎ liǎng jù huà fàng zài yì qǐ， tí chū kě yǐ jiǎn yàn de wèn tí。
He combines the claims and asks a question that tests them.
A 精卫填海是真实的工程记录吗？
jīng wèi tián hǎi shì zhēn shí de gōng chéng jì lù ma？
Is Jingwei a real engineering report?
B 不是，它是神话，表达不放弃的决心。
bú shì， tā shì shén huà， biǎo dá bù fàng qì de jué xīn。
No; it is a myth expressing determination.
