只許州官放火，不許百姓點燈

Chinese

Etymology

From a story recorded by the Song poet Lu You.

田登作郡，自諱其名，觸者必怒，吏卒多被榜笞。於是舉州皆謂「燈」為「火」。上元放燈，許人入州治遊觀。吏人遂書榜揭於市曰：「本州依例放火三日。」 [MSC, trad.]

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田登作郡，自讳其名，触者必怒，吏卒多被榜笞。于是举州皆谓「灯」为「火」。上元放灯，许人入州治游观。吏人遂书榜揭于市曰：「本州依例放火三日。」 [MSC, simp.]

From: Lu You, Notes of Laoxue'an（老學庵筆記）

Tiándēng zuò jùn, zì huì qí míng, chù zhě bì nù, lì zú duō bèi bǎngchī. Yúshì jǔ zhōu jiē wèi “dēng” wèi “huǒ”. Shàngyuán fàng dēng, xǔ rén rù zhōuzhì yóu guān. Lìrén suì shū bǎng jiē yú shì yuē: “Běn zhōu yī lì fànghuǒ sān rì.”

There was a prefectural governor (of Changzhou) called Tian Deng who hated people calling his name. Whenever people did that, he always got angry, and his subordinates doing that often got beaten up or caned. As a result, people of the prefecture referred "lanterns" as "fire" (because the word for "lanterns" (燈) is pronounced the same as his name "登" (dēng)). One year during the Lantern Festival, the prefectural government allowed people outside it to visit the prefectural seat. Then the officials there published a notice and posted it at the market, saying that they would “set fire” (set up lanterns) for 3 days according to tradition.

Pronunciation

Idiom

只許州官放火，不許百姓點燈

1. (figurative) The authorities can do what they like, but the common people are not allowed the slightest bit of freedom (Used in criticism of double standards of those with power)

   • 這種刻意的強加，赤裸裸，昭然若揭，簡直就是只許州官放火，不許百姓點燈。 [MSC, trad.]
     这种刻意的强加，赤裸裸，昭然若揭，简直就是只许州官放火，不许百姓点灯。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 2005, 馬浩, 《決策就是拍腦袋》, page 45

     Zhè zhǒng kèyì de qiángjiā, chìluǒluǒ, zhāoránruòjiē, jiǎnzhí jiù shì zhǐ xǔ zhōuguān fànghuǒ, bùxǔ bǎixìng diǎndēng.

     This kind of impositions, which is intentional, blatant and excessively obvious, exactly means that a boss can do whatever he/she likes but his/her subordinates should have no rights at all.

   • 更有民眾貼出早前紐森進行多人室內聚會的照片，以諷刺紐森只許州官放火，不許百姓點燈的施政作派。 [MSC, trad.]
     更有民众贴出早前纽森进行多人室内聚会的照片，以讽刺纽森只许州官放火，不许百姓点灯的施政作派。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 2021 March 7 (UTC+8), 李佳音, 無論接種疫苗與否 加州當局推雙層口罩 (California authorities suggested wearing two masks at once whether a person was vaccinated or not)

     Gèng yǒu mínzhòng tiē chū zǎoqián Niǔsēn jìnxíng duōrén shìnèi jùhuì de zhàopiàn, yǐ fěngcì Niǔsēn zhǐ xǔ zhōuguān fànghuǒ, bùxǔ bǎixìng diǎndēng de shīzhèng zuòpài.

     There was even someone who posted a photo in which Newsom previously attended an indoor party in order to satirize his administrative manner since he can do whatever he likes but the common people are not allowed the slightest bit of freedom.

See also

• quod licet Iovi, non licet bovi