俎上肉

Chinese

		a stand for food at sacrifice	up; on; on top up; on; on top; upon; first; previous or last; upper; higher; above; previous; to climb; to go into; to go up	meat; flesh
simp. and trad. (俎上肉)		俎	上	肉

Etymology

From the Records of the Grand Historian:

如今人方為刀俎，我為魚肉，何辭為。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]

如今人方为刀俎，我为鱼肉，何辞为。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

Rújīn rén fāng wéi dāozǔ, wǒ wéi yúròu, hé cí wéi. [Pinyin]

Now they are like the butcher's knife and chopping block, and we are like the fish and meat, what's the use of saying goodbye?

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): zǔshàngròu

(Zhuyin): ㄗㄨˇ ㄕㄤˋ ㄖㄡˋ

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: zǔshàngròu
  - Zhuyin: ㄗㄨˇ ㄕㄤˋ ㄖㄡˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: zǔshàngròu
  - Wade–Giles: tsu³-shang⁴-jou⁴
  - Yale: dzǔ-shàng-ròu
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tzuushanqrow
  - Palladius: цзушанжоу (czušanžou)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡su²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂɑŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʐoʊ̯⁵¹/

Noun

俎上肉

(figuratively) helpless victim at somebody's mercy

See also

人為刀俎，我為魚肉／人为刀俎，我为鱼肉 (rén wéi dāozǔ, wǒ wéi yúròu)