ice and charcoal; incompatible opposites
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 4 examplesnoun
ice and charcoal; metaphor for two mutually incompatible or opposing things
literaryPrimarily used in literary or formal contexts, often in the idiom 冰炭不相容.
Tā他
men们
liǎng两
rén人
de的
guān关
xì系
yóu犹
rú如
bīng冰
tàn炭
，
gēn根
běn本
wú无
fǎ法
hé合
zuò作
。
Their relationship is like ice and charcoal—utterly incompatible, making cooperation impossible.
Zhè这
liǎng两
gè个
guó国
jiā家
de的
lì立
chǎng场
bīng冰
tàn炭
bù不
xiāng相
róng容
，
tán谈
pàn判
xiàn陷
rù入
le了
jiāng僵
jú局
。
The positions of these two countries are as incompatible as ice and charcoal, and negotiations have reached an impasse.
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Zhèng正
yì义
yǔ与
xié邪
è恶
rú如
bīng冰
tàn炭
zhī之
yì异
，
bù不
kě可
tiáo调
hé和
。
Justice and evil are as different as ice and charcoal, irreconcilable by nature.
Zhè这
liǎng两
zhǒng种
guān观
diǎn点
bīng冰
tàn炭
bù不
tóng同
qì器
，
nán难
yǐ以
gòng共
cún存
。
These two viewpoints are like ice and charcoal that cannot coexist in the same vessel.