以鄰為壑

Chinese

		to use; according to; so as to to use; according to; so as to; in order to; by; with; because; Israel (abbrev.)	neighbour; adjacent; close to	because of; for; to because of; for; to; act as; take...to be; to be; to do; to serve as; to become	gully
trad. (以鄰為壑)		以	鄰	為	壑
simp. (以邻为壑)		以	邻	为	壑
Literally: “use the neighbour's field as an outlet for one's overflow”.

Etymology

From Mencius (《孟子·告子下》):

禹之治水，水之道也。是故禹以四海為壑，今吾子以鄰國為壑。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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禹之治水，水之道也。是故禹以四海为壑，今吾子以邻国为壑。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Yǔ zhī zhìshuǐ, shuǐ zhī dào yě. Shìgù Yǔ yǐ sìhǎi wéi hè, jīn wúzǐ yǐ línguó wéi hè. [Pinyin]

Yu's regulation of the waters was according to the laws of water. He therefore made the four seas their receptacle, while you make the neighbouring States their receptacle.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yǐlínwéihè, yǐlínwéihuò

  (Zhuyin): ㄧˇ ㄌㄧㄣˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄏㄜˋ, ㄧˇ ㄌㄧㄣˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄏㄨㄛˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ji⁵ leon⁴ wai⁶ kok³

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese, Mainland)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yǐlínwéihè
    • Zhuyin: ㄧˇ ㄌㄧㄣˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄏㄜˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yǐlínwéihè
    • Wade–Giles: i³-lin²-wei²-ho⁴
    • Yale: yǐ-lín-wéi-hè
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yiilinweiheh
    • Palladius: илиньвэйхэ (ilinʹvɛjxɛ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /i²¹⁴⁻²¹ lin³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ xɤ⁵¹/
      
  • (Standard Chinese, Taiwan)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yǐlínwéihuò
    • Zhuyin: ㄧˇ ㄌㄧㄣˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄏㄨㄛˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yǐlínwéihuò
    • Wade–Giles: i³-lin²-wei²-huo⁴
    • Yale: yǐ-lín-wéi-hwò
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yiilinweihuoh
    • Palladius: илиньвэйхо (ilinʹvɛjxo)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /i²¹⁴⁻²¹ lin³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ xu̯ɔ⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: ji⁵ leon⁴ wai⁶ kok³
    • Yale: yíh lèuhn waih kok
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ji⁵ loen⁴ wai⁶ kok⁸
    • Guangdong Romanization: yi⁵ lên⁴ wei⁶ kog³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jiː¹³ lɵn²¹ wɐi̯²² kʰɔːk̚³/

Idiom

以鄰為壑

1. (figuratively) to benefit oneself at others' expense

   • 誰要是對別人的困難不管，別人要調他所屬的幹部不給，或以壞的送人，「以鄰為壑」，全不為別部、別地、別人想一想，這樣的人就叫做本位主義者，這就是完全失掉了共產主義的精神。 [MSC, trad.]
     谁要是对别人的困难不管，别人要调他所属的干部不给，或以坏的送人，「以邻为壑」，全不为别部、别地、别人想一想，这样的人就叫做本位主义者，这就是完全失掉了共产主义的精神。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 1942, 毛澤東 (Mao Zedong), 《整頓黨的作風》 (Rectify the Party's Style of Work), 《毛澤東選集》. English translation based on the Foreign Languages Press edition

     Shéi yàoshi duì biérén de kùnnán bù guǎn, biérén yào diào tā suǒshǔ de gànbù bù gěi, huò yǐ huài de sòng rén, “yǐlínwéihè”, quán bù wèi biébù, biédì, biérén xiǎng yi xiǎng, zhèyàng de rén jiù jiàozuò běnwèizhǔyìzhě, zhè jiùshì wánquán shīdiào le gòngchǎnzhǔyì de jīngshén. [Pinyin]

     Whoever is indifferent to the difficulties of others, refuses to transfer cadres to other units on request, or releases only the inferior ones, "using the neighbour's field as an outlet for their overflow", and does not give the slightest consideration to other departments, localities or people—such a person is a selfish departmentalist who has entirely lost the spirit of communism.