Đốt sừng Tê

Definition

  1. Noun (Proper Noun / Historical Reference):

    • "Burning the Rhinoceros Horn": A classical Vietnamese literary and historical allusion referring to a specific act by the Tang Dynasty Chinese official Thái Chân (Cai Zhen). It denotes the burning of a rhinoceros horn to produce a light that could reveal ghosts, spirits, or hidden truths. The phrase symbolizes a determined, extraordinary, or mystical effort to uncover what is concealed.

  2. Idiom / Figurative Expression:

    • To make a supreme effort to reveal the truth: Used metaphorically to describe an attempt to expose hidden facts, secrets, or deceptions through drastic, unusual, or costly means.
Usage Examples
  • Noun / Historical Reference:
    • Câu chuyện "đốt sừng tê" của Thái Chân thường được nhắc đến trong văn học cổ. (The story of Thái Chân's "burning the rhinoceros horn" is often mentioned in classical literature.)
  • Idiom / Figurative Expression:
    • Để điều tra vụ án, họ phải đốt sừng tê mới mong tìm ra sự thật. (To investigate the case, they had to "burn the rhinoceros horn" to hope to find the truth.)
Advanced Usage
  • The phrase is primarily used in written, literary, or formal contexts. It carries a classical, scholarly tone and is not common in everyday conversation.
Variants and Related Words
  • Thái Chân (Cai Zhen): The historical figure associated with the act.
  • Đốt đuốc tìm người lương thiện: (To light a torch to find a virtuous person) – A related idiom about seeking truth or goodness, but less mystical in connotation.
Synonyms
  • To leave no stone unturned: To try every possible course of action to find something.
  • To go to great lengths: To make a considerable effort.
  • To shed light on: To clarify or reveal information.
Related Idioms
  • Đốt đuốc tìm người lương thiện: As mentioned above, this idiom shares the thematic core of a diligent search for truth or virtue.
  • Bới lông tìm vết: (To part the feathers to find a blemish) – Meaning to nitpick or look very hard for faults.