food handed out in contempt嗟来之食

 

One year during the Spring and Autumn Period (春秋时期,770-476 BC), there was a the Qi State (齐国) was severely strickend by a famine.

春秋时代，有一年齐国发生大饥荒。

 

Qian Ao (qián ào 黔敖), a very rich but arrogant man took the occasion to showcase his generosity through preparing food by the roadside and giving it to the passing refugees in charity.

有一位叫做黔敖有钱贵族，在街边准备食物分发给来往的难民，以显示自己的慷慨。

 

A man with shabby clothes happened to walk by with his shoes trailing along, he was so hungry as not to open his eyes.

有一个饥民，用衣袖蒙着脸，拖着鞋，饿得眼睛都睁不开的样子，慢慢地走过来。

 

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 !”

黔敖见了，就左手拿着吃的，右手捧着喝的，向他喊道：“喂，来吃吧！”

 

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 famished to such a degree. "

那人一听这话，立即瞪着眼睛，说道：“我就是因为不吃‘嗟来之食，才饿到这般地步的。"

 

Though Qian Ao made an apology to him for that, the man still resolutely refused to eat the food and thus he died of hunger in the end.

尽管黔敖向他道歉，那人仍然坚决不吃，终于饿死了。