牛馬

牛馬

1. oxen and horses; beasts of burden

   • 吾意周公輔成王宜以道，從容優樂，要歸之大中而已，必不逢其失而為之辭。又不當束縛之，馳驟之，使若牛馬然，急則敗矣。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     吾意周公辅成王宜以道，从容优乐，要归之大中而已，必不逢其失而为之辞。又不当束缚之，驰骤之，使若牛马然，急则败矣。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: c. early 9th century, Liu Zongyuan,《桐葉封弟辯》(On King Cheng's Granting His Brother a Paulownia Leaf as a Token of a Fief)

     Wú yì Zhōugōng fǔ Chéngwáng yí yǐ dào, cóngróng yōulè, yào guī zhī dàzhōng éryǐ, bì bù féng qí shī ér wèi zhī cí. Yòu bùdāng shùfù zhī, chízhòu zhī, shǐ ruò niúmǎ rán, jí zé bài yǐ. [Pinyin]

     In my view, it would be better for the Regent to assist King Cheng through advocating sound principles in a liberal and placid manner, directing his attention to what is great and proper. He should not encourage or gloss over his mistakes. In the meantime, he should not restrain him or use him harshly like cattle. For haste means failure.

   • 有一種暴力，將人不當人，不但不當人，還不及牛馬，不算什麼東西；待到人們羡慕牛馬，發生“亂離人，不及太平犬”的嘆息的時候，然後給與他略等于牛馬的價格，有如元朝定律，打死別人的奴隸，賠一頭牛，則人們便要心悅誠服，恭頌太平的盛世。為什麼呢？因為他雖不算人，究竟已等於牛馬了。 [MSC, trad.]
     有一种暴力，将人不当人，不但不当人，还不及牛马，不算什么东西；待到人们羡慕牛马，发生“乱离人，不及太平犬”的叹息的时候，然后给与他略等于牛马的价格，有如元朝定律，打死别人的奴隶，赔一头牛，则人们便要心悦诚服，恭颂太平的盛世。为什么呢？因为他虽不算人，究竟已等于牛马了。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 1925 April 29, 魯迅 (Lu Xun), Jottings under Lamplight (《燈下漫筆》), translated by Theodore Huters

     Yǒu yīzhǒng bàolì, jiāng rén bùdāng rén, bùdàn bùdāng rén, hái bùjí niúmǎ, bùsuàn shénme dōngxi; dài dào rénmen xiànmù niúmǎ, fāshēng “luànlí rén, bùjí tàipíng quǎn” de tànxī de shíhòu, ránhòu jǐyǔ tā lüè děngyú niúmǎ de jiàgé, yǒurú Yuáncháo dìnglǜ, dǎsǐ biérén de núlì, péi yītóu niú, zé rénmen biàn yào xīnyuèchéngfú, gōng sòng tàipíng de shèngshì. Wèishénme ne? Yīnwèi tā suī bùsuàn rén, jiūjìng yǐ děngyú niúmǎ le. [Pinyin]

     There are tyrannical powers that “do not treat people as humans,” and not only as less than human, but even as inferior to livestock, as simply worthless things; once people begin to envy livestock and to heave sighs about how “people living in chaos are not as well off as dogs living in peace,” the eventual result is that people are valued more or less as livestock. It’s like the law in the Yuan dynasty that required the compensation of an ox when one killed someone else’s slave; at this point, people quite willingly submit and celebrate this as an age of peace and prosperity. Why so? Because although they are no longer considered human, they are at least considered as equals to livestock.

2. (figurative) a person who is enslaved and driven by others

   • 直要使中國四萬萬百姓，一個個都貧無立錐之地，然後服服貼貼的做他們的牛馬，做他們奴隸。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     直要使中国四万万百姓，一个个都贫无立锥之地，然后服服贴贴的做他们的牛马，做他们奴隶。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: 《文明小史》第四六回

     Zhí yào shǐ Zhōngguó sì wànwàn bǎixìng, yī gègè dōu pín wú lìzhuīzhīdì, ránhòu fúfútiētiē de zuò tāmen de niúmǎ, zuò tāmen núlì. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 2023 August 23, “中國西安當局七夕節向民眾群發「催生」短信 遭網友奚落”, in BBC News‎^[1]:

     還有網友寫道：「賡續牛馬血脈，共擔韭菜重任。」 [MSC, trad.]
     还有网友写道：「赓续牛马血脉，共担韭菜重任。」 [MSC, simp.]

     Háiyǒu wǎngyǒu xiě dào: “Gēngxù niúmǎ xuèmài, gòng dān jiǔcài zhòngrèn.” [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

• “牛馬”, in 重編國語辭典修訂本 [Revised Mandarin Chinese Dictionary] (in Chinese), National Academy for Educational Research (Taiwan), 2021.

From Middle Chinese compound 牛馬 / 牛马 (ngjuw mæ^X, literally “ox + horse”).

• (Tokyo) ぎゅうば [gyúꜜùbà] (Atamadaka – [1])^[1][2]
• IPA^(key): [ɡʲɨːba̠]

牛(ぎゅう)馬(ば) • (gyūba) ^{←ぎうば (giuba)?}

1. oxen and horses, beasts of burden

Compound of 牛 (ushi, “ox”) +‎ 馬 (uma, “horse”).

• (Tokyo) うしうま [ùshíúmá] (Heiban – [0])^[1]
• IPA^(key): [ɯ̟ɕiɯ̟ma̠]

牛(うし)馬(うま) • (ushiuma) 

1. a small breed of horse, extinct since 1947