Recently, news reports have emerged about China implementing a "beggar-thy-neighbor" policy. A beggar-thy-neighbor policy is an economic strategy in which a country tries to solve its economic problems by worsening the economic problems of other countries. But why was this term translated as the idiom “以鄰為壑”? Let’s take a look.
以鄰為壑
It's from《孟子．告子下》.
During the 戰國時期(Warring States period, 475–221 BCE), there was a man named 白圭. He was highly skilled in building dikes and managing water conservancy. He once boasted that his ability to control floods far surpassed that of the legendary 禹.
- 禹 was a tribal leader who could transform into a mighty bear to dredge rivers.
However, the method used by 白圭 was questionable. He managed the river channels by simply redirecting floodwaters into neighboring countries. Upon hearing this, 孟子 criticized him, saying:
「子過矣，禹之治水，水之道也。是故禹以四海為壑。今吾子以鄰國為壑。水逆行謂之洚水，洚水者，洪水也。仁人之所惡也，吾子過矣。」
The meaning of this classical text is: "You are wrong! 禹 managed the waters by letting them flow naturally into the sea. Now, you're just building dikes to divert floods into your neighbors' lands and using them as your own drainage reservoirs. This selfish act is something that any virtuous person would despise."
From this story, the idiom "以鄰為壑" was born. Literally meaning "using one's neighbor as a drainage pit," it is used as a metaphor for shifting one's own troubles, difficulties, or disasters onto others, especially those in one's immediate vicinity.
Sentence Pattern: "以...為..."
The idiom 以鄰為壑 follows one of the most classic patterns: 以 A 為 B.Literal meaning: "Take A and treat/use it as B"
以：Take / Use
以：Take / Use
鄰：Neighbors = (A)
為：As / To become
為：As / To become
壑：Drainage pit / Ravine = (B)
Translation: "Taking your neighbors as your drainage pit."
To see another example of this sentence pattern, check out my video on "以退為進."
Translation: "Taking your neighbors as your drainage pit."
To see another example of this sentence pattern, check out my video on "以退為進."
Similar Idiom 損人利己
It's from《舊唐書》.
In 713 AD, during the 唐 Dynasty, 陸象先 served as a Regional Governor with Judicial Authority. Throughout his career, he was known for governing with kindness, mercy, and high moral character.
One of his subordinates once advised him to use corporal punishment, such as caning and flogging, to establish his prestige and authority. The subordinate feared that, without such harsh measures, the soldier would become lazy, disrespectful and would lose their fear of the law.
However, 陸象先 replied:
「為政者理則可矣，何必嚴刑樹威。損人益己，恐非仁恕之道。」
In this classic text, he believed that governance should be guided by reason and justice. He questioned why one would need to rely on cruel punishments just to build a sense of gravitas. To him, harming others for personal gain was the absolute opposite of the benevolence and forgiveness that a leader should embody.
Later, the idiom "損人利己" came to be used to describe the act of seeking personal gain at the expense of others.
Nowadays, we often add a "不" (not) in the middle to create a new expression: "損人不利己" It means harming others. You do it without gaining any benefit for yourself. You even cost your reputation by doing it.
How To Use
- 這家化工廠竟然把大量廢水排入附近溪裡，以鄰為壑，一定要讓它倒閉！I can't believe the chemical plant dumped so much wastewater into the nearby stream! They're treating their neighbors like a drainage pit! We must shut them down!
- 「君子愛財，取之有道」，你不該做出那些損人利己的事來。
As the saying goes, "A person of virtue seeks wealth only through honorable means." You should not harm others for personal gain.
- 我這樣做不是會讓同事難堪嗎？為什麼要做這種損人不利己的事情？
Wouldn't doing this embarrass my colleagues? Why would I do something that harms others but brings no benefit to myself?
Pattern comparison:
- 損人利己： Harm others (損人) + Benefit oneself (利己).
- 損人不利己： Harm others (損人) + DOES NOT(不) +Benefit oneself (利己).
留言
張貼留言