<p>渐渐地 here refers to the fact that <em><strong>gradually</strong></em> becomes clear. The fact is that &quot;秦军无法快速取得胜利，粮食也快没了，有些坚持不住了&quot;.</p>
<p>In other words, <em><strong>it's gradually clear that Qin army can't win the battle quickly</strong></em>... ...</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-01T04:30:48.753Z
2022-09-01T04:30:48.753Z
dan
<p>You are right, I also think there is a contradiction between 渐渐地 and 快速取得胜利。</p>
<p>Either,  快速取得胜利 or not. You can't slowly win a quick victory, either quick or not.</p>
<p>When does quick become slow?</p>
<p>Whatever the 办法 was, it caused a stalemate and the hoped for rapid victory evapourated.</p>
<p>Probably, the writer means: 战争逐渐陷入僵局，</p>
<p>这个办法果然非常有效，<br />
This method was, as expected, very effective,<br />
成功地把秦军拦在了国门之外。<br />
successfully keeping the Qin army outside of the country.<br />
战争逐渐陷入僵局，
The war gradually reached a stalemate,<br />
秦军无法快速取得胜利，<br />
the Qin army found itself unable to secure a quick victory,<br />
粮食也快没了，<br />
(their) grain stores were depleted,<br />
有些坚持不住了。<br />
some could not hold on (any longer).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-01T00:40:52.607Z
"Probably, the writer means: 战争逐渐陷入僵局." Yes, that's my understanding too. - "The strategy had effectively stopped the Qin army and **gradually eroded** its morale and ability to win the war quickly provided that....  "
r13
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2022-08-31T23:06:39.060Z
2022-08-31T23:06:39.060Z
Pedroski
<p>渐渐地，秦军无法快速取得胜利，粮食也快没了，有些坚持不住了。</p>
<p>I will translate 渐渐地 to &quot;after a while&quot;.</p>
<p>From the context 这个办法果然非常有效，成功地把秦军拦在了国门之外, the author tells us that this method was effective enough to resist the enemy beyond the border, but not defeat them at once. Therefore it needs some time for the enemy to realize that it could not win the battle quickly.</p>

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2022-09-01T01:07:28.320Z
2022-09-01T01:07:28.320Z
PdotWang
<p>渐渐地(Gradually)，秦军(the army of Qin)无法(could not)快速(quickly)取得(obtain)胜利(victory)，</p>
<ul>
<li>Gradually, the Qin army could not quickly obtain victory.</li>
</ul>
<p>While this translation is grammatically acceptable, the sentence can be modified to reflect the original meaning more precisely.</p>
<ul>
<li>Gradually, the Qin army had <strong>lost the ability (无法)</strong> to obtain/achieve victory quickly.</li>
</ul>
<p>本意: 秦軍被阻於境外,銳氣大損.持久的消耗戰<strong>逐漸地</strong>消磨了原本高䀚的士氣.至此,秦軍再無法<strong>迅速地</strong>得到勝利.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-31T22:34:42.167Z
2022-09-01T01:48:19.747Z
2022-09-01T01:48:19.747Z
r13
<p>'victory' here refers to winning individual battles, not the war as a whole.</p>
<p>秦军 could be 渐渐地(gradually) winning the war</p>
<p>but not 快速(quickly) winning battles</p>
<p>(stop 秦军 from winning a quick fight by avoiding battle)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-31T19:06:16.043Z
2022-08-31T19:06:16.043Z
Tang Ho
<p>这个办法果然非常有效，成功地把秦军拦在了国门之外。渐渐地，秦军无法快速取得胜利，粮食也快没了，有些坚持不住了。</p>
<p>This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5 section 15.</p>
<p>How can 渐渐地 and 快速 be combined in the same sentence?</p>
<p>渐渐地(gradually)，秦军(Qin army)无法(couldn't)快速(quickly)取得(obtain)胜利(victory)</p>
<p>So, did it happen gradually or quickly?</p>

<meaning><meaning-in-context>
What is the literal translation of this sentence: 渐渐地，秦军无法快速取得胜利?
# What is the literal translation of this sentence: 渐渐地，秦军无法快速取得胜利?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-08-31)

这个办法果然非常有效，成功地把秦军拦在了国门之外。渐渐地，秦军无法快速取得胜利，粮食也快没了，有些坚持不住了。

This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5 section 15.

How can 渐渐地 and 快速 be combined in the same sentence?

渐渐地(gradually)，秦军(Qin army)无法(couldn't)快速(quickly)取得(obtain)胜利(victory)

So, did it happen gradually or quickly?

**Tags:** meaning, meaning-in-context


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## 5 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-09-01. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

渐渐地 here refers to the fact that ***gradually*** becomes clear. The fact is that "秦军无法快速取得胜利，粮食也快没了，有些坚持不住了".

In other words, ***it's gradually clear that Qin army can't win the battle quickly***... ...


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### Answer by username_2 on 2022-08-31. Score: 2

You are right, I also think there is a contradiction between 渐渐地 and 快速取得胜利。

Either, 快速取得胜利 or not. You can't slowly win a quick victory, either quick or not.

When does quick become slow?

Whatever the 办法 was, it caused a stalemate and the hoped for rapid victory evapourated.

Probably, the writer means: 战争逐渐陷入僵局，

这个办法果然非常有效，  
This method was, as expected, very effective,  
成功地把秦军拦在了国门之外。  
successfully keeping the Qin army outside of the country.  
战争逐渐陷入僵局，
The war gradually reached a stalemate,  
秦军无法快速取得胜利，  
the Qin army found itself unable to secure a quick victory,  
粮食也快没了，  
(their) grain stores were depleted,  
有些坚持不住了。  
some could not hold on (any longer).

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: "Probably, the writer means: 战争逐渐陷入僵局." Yes, that's my understanding too. - "The strategy had effectively stopped the Qin army and **gradually eroded** its morale and ability to win the war quickly provided that....  "  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2022-09-01. Score: 2

渐渐地，秦军无法快速取得胜利，粮食也快没了，有些坚持不住了。

I will translate 渐渐地 to "after a while".

From the context 这个办法果然非常有效，成功地把秦军拦在了国门之外, the author tells us that this method was effective enough to resist the enemy beyond the border, but not defeat them at once. Therefore it needs some time for the enemy to realize that it could not win the battle quickly.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2022-08-31. Score: 1

渐渐地(Gradually)，秦军(the army of Qin)无法(could not)快速(quickly)取得(obtain)胜利(victory)，

* Gradually, the Qin army could not quickly obtain victory.

While this translation is grammatically acceptable, the sentence can be modified to reflect the original meaning more precisely.

* Gradually, the Qin army had **lost the ability (无法)** to obtain/achieve victory quickly.

本意: 秦軍被阻於境外,銳氣大損.持久的消耗戰**逐漸地**消磨了原本高䀚的士氣.至此,秦軍再無法**迅速地**得到勝利.


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### Answer by username_5 on 2022-08-31. Score: 0

'victory' here refers to winning individual battles, not the war as a whole.

秦军 could be 渐渐地(gradually) winning the war

but not 快速(quickly) winning battles

(stop 秦军 from winning a quick fight by avoiding battle)


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