Chinese Idiom: 嗟来之食 (Jie Lai Zhi Shi)
English Translation: Food Offered with a Sigh
pīn yīn: jiē lái zhī shí
Idiom Meaning: This idiom metaphorically refers to insulting charity or alms, where refusing such offerings is viewed as a demonstration of integrity.
Historical Source: From The Book of Rites (礼记), specifically The Lower Records of the Tan Bow (檀弓下).
Idiom Story:
During the Spring and Autumn period, the state of Qi faced severe famine, causing widespread poverty and starvation among its people. In this time of crisis, a noble landowner named Qian Ao, seeking to display his benevolence, set up a food station by the roadside, waiting to offer food to passing hungry travelers.
One day, a famished man, thin and ragged, approached with his face partially covered by his sleeve, barely able to walk in his worn-out shoes. Upon seeing him, Qian Ao held out food in his left hand and drink in his right, calling out, “嗟，来食!” which means “Hey, come eat!”
The hungry man, hearing the contemptuous shout, looked up at Qian Ao with disdain and replied, “I refuse to eat the food offered with a sigh; it is precisely because I don’t eat such insulting charity that I have ended up like this!”
Realizing his tone was inappropriate, Qian Ao softened his approach, urging the man to accept the food. However, the man stubbornly refused the “sigh-offered food,” ultimately starving to death.
Afterward, a student of Confucius named Zeng Shen learned of this incident and, reflecting on Confucian principles, remarked, “This man was too obstinate. It’s fine to refuse when the attitude is poor; however, once the tone has changed, one should accept the offering!”
From this story, the idiom “嗟来之食” emerged, emphasizing the concept of rejecting demeaning charity.
