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cāo ㄘㄠ (1.1): 持，拿著。 Hold, holding.
| 《·》: | 一手之操也，不若二手之3强也 | | The grasp of one hand cannot compare with that of two. | | 《·》: | 此六子者，无异于磔犬、流豕、操瓢而乞者，皆离名轻死，不念本养寿命者也。 | | (The deaths of) these four men were not different from those of the dog that is torn in pieces, the pig that is borne away by a current, or the beggar (drowned in a ditch) with his alms-gourd in his hand. They were all caught as in a net by their (desire for) fame, not caring to nourish their life to its end, as they were bound to do. | | 《·》: | 昔葛天氏之乐，三人操牛尾投足以歌八阕：一曰载民，二曰玄鸟，三曰遂草木，四曰奋五谷，五曰敬天常，六曰达帝功，七曰依地德，八曰总万物之极。 |
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cāo ㄘㄠ (1.2): 掌握，驾驭。 Control, drive.
| 《·》: | 颜渊问仲尼曰：“吾尝济乎觞深之渊，津人操舟若神。” | | Yan Yuan asked Zhongni, saying, 'When I was crossing the gulf of Shang-shen, the ferryman handled the boat like a spirit.' | | 《·》: | 所谓贵者，无法而擅行，操国柄而便私者也。 |
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cāo ㄘㄠ (1.3): 携，带著。 Carry, bring with.
| 《·》: | 孝子操药以修慈父，其色燋然，圣人羞之。 | | He was like the filial son carrying in the medicine to cure his kind father, with every sign of distress in his countenance. A sage would be ashamed (of such a thing). | | 《》: | 郑人有且置履者，先自度其足而置之其坐，至之市而忘操之，已得履，乃曰：“吾忘持度。” | | 《》: | 魏人郑安平闻之，乃遂操范睢亡，伏匿，更名姓曰张禄。 |
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cāo ㄘㄠ (2): 担任，从事。 Serve as, do.
| 《·》: | 孙子曰：凡兴师十万，出征千里，百姓之费，公家之奉，日费千金，内外骚动，怠于道路，不得操事者，七十万家，相守数年，以争一日之胜，而爱爵禄百金，不知敌之情者，不仁之至也，非人之将也，非主之佐也，非胜之主也。 |
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cāo ㄘㄠ (3): （旧读cào）操守，品德。 Integrity, moral character.
| 《·》: | 充仲子之操，则蚓而后可者也。 | | To carry out the principles which he holds, one must become an earthworm, for so only can it be done. | | 《·》: | 君臣易操，则上之三官者废矣。 |
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cāo ㄘㄠ (4.1): （旧读cào）琴曲名。 Cao, name of a piece of zither music.
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cāo ㄘㄠ (4.2): （旧读cào）弹奏（琴曲）。 Play (on the zither).
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