敲剝

敲剝

1. (literary or Southern Min) to blackmail; to extort

   • 是以其未得之也，荼毒天下之肝腦，離散天下之子女，以博我一人之產業，曾不慘然！曰“我固為子孫創業也”。其既得之也，敲剝天下之骨髓，離散天下之子女，以奉我一人之淫樂，視為當然，曰“此我產業之花息也”。然則為天下之大害者，君而已矣。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     是以其未得之也，荼毒天下之肝脑，离散天下之子女，以博我一人之产业，曾不惨然！曰“我固为子孙创业也”。其既得之也，敲剥天下之骨髓，离散天下之子女，以奉我一人之淫乐，视为当然，曰“此我产业之花息也”。然则为天下之大害者，君而已矣。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: 1663, 黃宗義 (Huang Zongxi),《原君》(On Kingship), tr. Lin Yutang

     Shìyǐ qí wèi dé zhī yě, túdú tiānxià zhī gānnǎo, lísàn tiānxià zhī zǐnǚ, yǐ bó wǒ yīrén zhī chǎnyè, zēng bù cǎnrán! Yuē “wǒ gù wèi zǐsūn chuàngyè yě”. Qí jì dé zhī yě, qiāobō tiānxià zhī gǔsuǐ, lísàn tiānxià zhī zǐnǚ, yǐ fèng wǒ yīrén zhī yínlè, shìwéi dāngrán, yuē “cǐ wǒ chǎnyè zhī huāxī yě”. Ránzé wéi tiānxià zhī dà hài zhě, jūn éryǐ yǐ. [Pinyin]

     Therefore, when someone aspires to be a king, he does not mind sacrificing the lives of millions and taking away children from their parents in order to work for his “private property.” Without the slightest qualm of conscience, he says to himself, “I am building up this ruling house for my children.” And when he has attained to kingship, he does not mind grinding out the bones and marrow of the people and breaking up families to labor and to serve that he alone may enjoy all the luxury and amusements of an easy living. Without a qualm of conscience, he says again to himself, “I am entitled to the eanings of my property, am I not?” Kings have thus become the great enemy of the people.