Reader’s question:

None the less, war was possible if not probable. Could you explain “be possible if not probable”?

My comments:

It means this:

War was still possible, even though that possibility was a very small one.

Although both “possible” and “probable” are often translated into Chinese as “可能”, their meanings are different.

If something is probable, it’s likely to happen. If it’s a mere possibility, then it may happen but the chances of it happening are slim.

In other words, “probable” is much more probable than “possible”.

To paraphrase the above example again:

The chance for war was slim, but it was there (and so we still had to prepare for it).

Related stories:

Right on cue

Lower 48 states

Pick up steam

Personal chemistry

Put it on the back burner

Butt-brush effect

Make the cut

Poker face

Win hands down

Out on the street

Fly-by-night

Apple polisher

Might-have-beens

Think the world of

Ante up

Sit on the fence

On top of the world

Button your lip

One for the books

Pass the buck

Raw deal

Fire sale

Spill the beans

Sacred cow

Cheek to jowl

Peaches and cream

Know-it-all

A long shot

Miss the boat

Go to Zhang Xin's column

本文僅代表作者本人觀點，與本網立場無關。歡迎大家討論學術問題，尊重他人，禁止人身攻擊和發布一切違反國家現行法律法規的內容。

Zhang Xin has been with China Daily since 1988, when he graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Write him at: zhangxin@chinadaily.com.cn, or raise a question for potential use in a future column.