One year during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), there was a the Qi State was severely1 strickend by a famine.
Qian Ao, a very rich but arrogant2 man took the occasion to showcase his generosity3 through preparing food by the roadside and giving it to the passing refugees in charity.
A man with shabby clothes happened to walk by with his shoes trailing along, he was so hungry as not to open his eyes.
Seeing the poor man, Qian Ao held the food by left hand and the drink by right hand, and shouted at him, "Hi, come to eat!"
Hearing the word, the man glared his eyes and said, "It is because I am not willing to eat the food handed out in contempt that I have been famished4 to such a degree."
Though Qian Ao made an apology to him for that, the man still resolutely5 refused to eat the food and thus he died of hunger in the end.
This set phrase now extensively denotes the disrespectful aims. This story means that a person who has a strong sense of self-respect would rather die of hunger than be despised.
春秋時(shí)代，有一年齊國發(fā)生大饑荒。
有一位叫做黔敖有錢貴族，在街邊準(zhǔn)備食物分發(fā)給來往的難民，以顯示自己的慷慨。
有一個(gè)饑民，用衣袖蒙著臉，拖著鞋，餓得眼睛都睜不開的樣子，慢慢地走過來。
黔敖見了，就左手拿著吃的，右手捧著喝的，向他喊道：“喂，來吃吧！”
那人一聽這話，立即瞪著眼睛，說道：“我就是因?yàn)椴怀浴班祦碇场?，才餓到這般地步的。"
盡管黔敖向他道歉，那人仍然堅(jiān)決不吃，終于餓死了。
此故事講的是一個(gè)懷有強(qiáng)烈自尊心的人，寧可餓死也不肯接受人輕視。現(xiàn)在這個(gè)成語泛指帶有侮辱性的施舍。
1 severely
adv.嚴(yán)格地；嚴(yán)厲地；非常惡劣地
參考例句：
He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了嚴(yán)厲的批評并且被撤了職。 He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了嚴(yán)厲的批評。
2 arrogant
adj.傲慢的，自大的
參考例句：
You've got to get rid of your arrogant ways.你這驕傲勁兒得好好改改。 People are waking up that he is arrogant.人們開始認(rèn)識(shí)到他很傲慢。
3 generosity
n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行為
參考例句：
We should match their generosity with our own.我們應(yīng)該像他們一樣慷慨大方。 We adore them for their generosity.我們欽佩他們的慷慨。
4 famished
adj.饑餓的
參考例句：
When's lunch?I'm famished!什么時(shí)候吃午飯？我餓得要死了！ My feet are now killing me and I'm absolutely famished.我的腳現(xiàn)在筋疲力盡，我絕對是極餓了。
5 resolutely
adj.堅(jiān)決地，果斷地
參考例句：
He resolutely adhered to what he had said at the meeting. 他堅(jiān)持他在會(huì)上所說的話。 He grumbles at his lot instead of resolutely facing his difficulties. 他不是果敢地去面對困難，而是抱怨自己運(yùn)氣不佳
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