country in civil war; country disarrayed by war; Warring States period (Japan, China); competiton in which there are several evenly-matched participants; hotly-contested game (match, market, etc.)
troubled times; turbulent times
battle; fight; fighting; engagement; contest
other self; alter ego; part of oneself (in someone or something else); incarnations of Buddha
to go round and cut in; to take a roundabout path
law; regulation; rule; code; agreement; arrangement
cum (e.g. bedroom-cum-study); holding both roles (e.g. Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs); and; in addition; concurrently; at the same time
sometimes; occasionally; at times; seasonal; of the season; appropriate (for the season or occasion)
union; coalescence; amalgamation; copulation; penetration
disliked; hated; tendency; smack (of); distinction; discrimination
given that ... it is only natural that ...; ... being the case, it is unavoidable that ...; (precisely) because ...; contrary to expectations ...
attitude to life; form of existence; way of life
reasons; circumstances; significance; hindrance; obstruction; interference
old; aged; long; since long ago; of the distant past; long-ago
to add (e.g. a postscript)
culmination; acme; height; peak; ultimate; perfection
barrier; obstacle; difficulty; hurdle; deadlock
to hold back (e.g. emotions); to rein in (e.g. a horse, unruly people); to get the better of; to control; to command
the most; the extreme; prime; conspicuous
sacred tree; support pillars of the traditional fire festival bonfires
far away; far off; far; long ago; long before
to freeze; to be frozen over; to congeal
hidden treasure; treasured article
to join; to be put together; to combine; to unite; to fit; to close (e.g. of a wound)
bunch of flowers; bouquet
cumulative total; accumulated total; total up to now
to soar; to fly; to run; to dash
according to; by (means of); due to; because of
to turn; to revolve; to visit several places; to function well; to pass a certain time
embarkation; boarding (an aeroplane, airplane)
to rub; to chafe; to wear out; to become worn; to lose one's innocence; to become sly
here and there; in places