《嗟（jiē）来之食》成语英译与典故

二十九、嗟（jiē）来之食

战国的时候有一年，

齐国发生了大饥荒。

多少人活活被饿死，

令人见了多惨伤。

有个富翁叫黔（qián）敖，

设了个粥摊在路旁，

饥荒时候作施舍，

装出笑容在脸上。

他一心想博个好名声，

好让人到处去传扬。

粥摊刚刚才设好，

有个人歪歪斜斜到摊旁，

看样已多日未吃饭，

饿得瘦脸纸样黄。

他还用袖子把脸遮。

怕人见他的窘困相，

黔敖一见这人到，

捧起食物端起汤，

“过来过来”连声唤，

脸带着一副恩赐的傲慢相。

他满以为饿汉匆匆奔过来，

会把食物狼吞虎咽吞半筐，

既会对他表谢意，

也会把他的美名扬，

谁知竟出他意料外，

那饿汉，甩下了帽子把眉毛扬，

狠狠朝他瞪一眼，

话儿冷似铁块样：

“嗟来之食谁稀罕！

瞧你那副傲慢相！

假仁假义快收起，

饿死不喝你粥汤！”

说完迈步走开去，

黔敖愣在粥摊旁，

待他追去想道歉，

那饿汉却步也不停话不讲。

心甘情愿去饿死，

不把“嗟来之食”尝。

“嗟”字本是呼唤声，

唤人来把食物尝。

施舍若带侮辱性，

人有骨气不能尝。

Hey，Hey，Food

One year during the period of Warring States（475—221B.C.），there was a famine in the State of Song.So many people starved to death，and the scene was fearful to see.At that time there was a rich man named Qian Ao，who set up a porridge caldron by the roadside，to show his benevolent generosity with charity.With a smile on his face，he aimed to build up a good name，and letting people spread it to the far ends.Shortly after he built his porridge stall，a hungry man was staggering nearby.Obviously he was starving for quite a couple of days，and his face was as yellow as a piece of paper.He covered his face with his sleeves，fearing that he might be identified.As Qian Ao saw him coming，he soon handed over a bowl of porridge.

“Hey，hey”he called out repeatedly，showing a contemptuous complexion.He thought that the hun⁃gry man might hurry over，and devoured half of a cal⁃dron at one gulp.He also thought the hungry man might say“Thank you”to him，and help spread for him some good fame.But unexpectedly，the hungry man threw off his hat and held high his head.He glared at him with an angry gaze，and said in words that were harder than iron：“Go to hell with your hey⁃hey⁃food，look at your contemplating countenance.Do away with your fake humanity，I'd rather starve than eat your porridge！”

With these words，he walked graciously away.Qian Ao was astonished at the sight，when he tried to go over to him to apologize.The hungry man walked silently on，and meant to fall dead by the roadside，without having a taste of the hey⁃hey⁃food.

The Chinese“Jie”means“hello，or hey without courtesy”.It is used to ask people to come to eat.If charity is an insult or contempt，a man of dignity nev⁃er tastes it at all.