嗟來之食

From the Book of Rites.

• 齊大饑，黔敖為食於路，以待餓者而食之。有餓者蒙袂輯屨，貿貿然來。黔敖左奉食，右執飲，曰：「嗟！來食。」揚其目而視之，曰：「予唯不食嗟來之食，以至於斯也。」從而謝焉；終不食而死。曾子聞之曰：「微與？其嗟也可去，其謝也可食。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.][▼ expand/hide]

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  齐大饥，黔敖为食于路，以待饿者而食之。有饿者蒙袂辑屨，贸贸然来。黔敖左奉食，右执饮，曰：“嗟！来食。”扬其目而视之，曰：“予唯不食嗟来之食，以至于斯也。”从而谢焉；终不食而死。曾子闻之曰：“微与？其嗟也可去，其谢也可食。” [Classical Chinese, simp.]

  From: The Book of Rites, circa 4^th – 2^nd century BCE

  Qí dàjī, Qián Áo wèi shí yú lù, yǐ dài èzhě ér shí zhī. Yǒu èzhě méng mèi jí 屨, mào mào rán lái. Qián Áo zuǒ fèng shí, yòu zhí yǐn, yuē: “Jiē! Lái shí.” Yáng qí mù ér shì zhī, yuē: “Yǔ wéi bù shí jiēláizhīshí, yǐzhìyú sī yě.” Cóng'ér xiè yān; zhōng bù shí ér sǐ. Zēngzǐ wén zhī yuē: “Wēi yǔ? Qí jiē yě kě qù, qí xiè yě kě shí.” [Pinyin]

  During a great dearth in Qi, Qian Ao had food prepared on the roads, to wait the approach of hungry people and give to them. (One day), there came a famished man, looking as if he could hardly see, his face covered with his sleeve, and dragging his feet together. Qian Ao, carrying with his left hand some rice, and holding some drink with the other, said to him, 'Poor man! come and eat.' The man, opening his eyes with a stare, and looking at him, said, 'It was because I would not eat "Poor man come here's" food, that I am come to this state.' Qian Ao immediately apologised for his words, but the man after all would not take the food and died. When Zeng-zi heard the circumstances, he said, 'Was it not a small matter? When the other expressed his pity as he did, the man might have gone away. When he apologised, the man might have taken the food.'

嗟來之食

1. food handed out in contempt; contemptuous handout