嗟來之食

From the Book of Rites, Book 4 (《禮記·檀弓下》):

齊大饑，黔敖為食於路，以待餓者而食之。有餓者蒙袂輯屨，貿貿然來。黔敖左奉食，右執飲，曰：「嗟！來食。」揚其目而視之，曰：「予唯不食嗟來之食，以至於斯也。」從而謝焉；終不食而死。曾子聞之曰：「微歟！其嗟也可去，其謝也可食。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

---

齐大饥，黔敖为食于路，以待饿者而食之。有饿者蒙袂辑屦，贸贸然来。黔敖左奉食，右执饮，曰：「嗟！来食。」扬其目而视之，曰：「予唯不食嗟来之食，以至于斯也。」从而谢焉；终不食而死。曾子闻之曰：「微欤！其嗟也可去，其谢也可食。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Qí dàjī, Qián Áo wéi shí yú lù, yǐ dài èzhě ér shí zhī. Yǒu èzhě méng mèi jí jù, màomàorán lái. Qián Áo zuǒ fèng shí, yòu zhí yǐn, yuē: “Jiē! Lái shí.” Yáng qí mù ér shì zhī, yuē: “Yǔ wéi bù shí jiē lái zhī shí, yǐzhìyú sī yě.” Cóng ér xiè yān; zhōng bù shí ér sǐ. Zēngzǐ wén zhī yuē: “Wēi yú! Qí jiē yě kě qù, qí xiè yě kě shí.”

During a great dearth in Qi, Qian Ao had food prepared on the road to wait for the starving people, and supplied them food. (One day), there came a famished fellow, and it looked like he could hardly see, his face covered with his sleeves, and his feet dragging together. Qian Ao, with some food in his left hand and with some drinks in right hand, said to him, "Alas! Come and eat!" The fellow stared at him and said, "It was because I did not eat 'alas come here's' food, that I am now in this state." Qian Ao immediately apologised for his words, but the man after all did not take the food and died. Zengzi heard about it and said, "Are you kidding me? If Qian Ao expressed his pity, the fellow should just get away. But since he had apologised, the fellow should have eaten the food."

嗟來之食

1. food handed out in contempt; contemptuous handout