化干戈为玉帛意思是消除仇怨，变战争为和平，变冲突为友好。“干”“戈”是用于防御和进攻的两种武器（two weapons of war which were used for defense¹ and attack respectively），借指战争、武力冲突；“玉”“帛”指玉器和束帛，是古代诸侯会盟、诸侯与天子朝聘时互赠的礼物（jades² and silks which were gifts exchanged between feudal³ lords and tribute paid to monarchs），后来用于表示和平共处之意。

 

这句话可以翻译为eliminate animosity in order to turn war into peace and turn conflicts into amity⁴。

 

例句：

 

上天降灾，使我两君匪以玉帛相见，而以兴戎。

 

Heaven has struck disaster, bringing our two sovereign lords to face each other, not with jades and silks, but with the instruments of war.

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