Nhị Bách

Definition

  1. Proper noun:

    • The Hangu Pass: A historically significant and extremely strategic mountain pass in ancient China, specifically the main gateway into the State of Qin. Its name, "Nhị Bách" (Two-Hundred), originates from the belief that due to its formidable terrain, two (Nhị) defenders could hold off two hundred (Bách) attackers.

  2. Noun (figurative):

    • An impregnable stronghold; a critical strategic point: Used metaphorically to describe any location or position that is extremely defensible and of paramount strategic importance.
Usage Examples

  • Proper noun:

    • Nhị Bách là cửa ngõ then chốt vào nước Tần. (The Hangu Pass was the crucial gateway into the State of Qin.)
    • Quân đội phòng thủ vững chắc tại Nhị Bách. (The army defended firmly at the Hangu Pass.)

  • Noun (figurative):

    • Pháo đài này được xem như Nhị Bách của vương quốc. (This fortress is considered the impregnable stronghold of the kingdom.)
    • Họ chiếm giữ vị trí mang tính Nhị Bách. (They occupied a position of critical strategic importance.)
Advanced Usage
  • The term is primarily used in historical, literary, or strategic discussions. It is a classical allusion and not common in everyday modern conversation.
Variants and Related Words

  • Hàm Cốc Quan: Another name for the Hangu Pass.

    • Hàm Cốc Quan còn được gọi là Nhị Bách. (The Hangu Pass is also called Nhị Bách.)

  • Quan hà hiểm yếu: A strategic pass.

    • Đây là một quan hà hiểm yếu trong lịch sử. (This is a strategic pass in history.)
Synonyms
  • Strategic pass: A passage of great military importance.
  • Impregnable fortress: A fortress that cannot be captured.
  • Bottleneck: A narrow, critical point.
Related Idioms
  • "Thế hiểm Nhị Bách": Describing a situation or terrain as defensible as the Hangu Pass.
    • Vị trí này có thế hiểm Nhị Bách. (This location has the defensible advantage of the Hangu Pass.)