Definition
玉帛 literally means 'jade and silk' — precious gifts exchanged between ancient Chinese states to seal alliances or express goodwill. Today it's used figuratively in the idiom 化干戈为玉帛 ('turn weapons into jade and silk'), meaning to replace conflict with peace and friendship. It's a literary/historical term, not used in everyday conversation.
n.
gems and silk (used as state gifts in ancient China)(figurative) peacefriendship (as in 化干戈为玉帛)
Examples
- 玉帛,。Liǎng guó hù zèng yù bó, yǐ shì yǒuhǎo.The two states exchanged gems and silk as a sign of friendship.
- ,玉帛。Jīngguò tánpàn, shuāngfāng zhōngyú huà gāngē wéi yù bó.After negotiations, the two sides finally turned swords into plowshares.
- 玉帛。Gǔdài zhūhóu yǐ yù bó zuòwéi jiéméng de xìnwù.In ancient times, feudal lords used gems and silk as tokens of alliance.
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