一贫如洗 penniless
Explanation
形容十分贫穷，没有钱财，一无所有。
Describes extreme poverty, without money, without possessions.
Origin Story
从前，在一个小山村里，住着一位名叫王二的穷苦农民。他家一贫如洗，没有田地，只有一间破旧的茅草屋。王二的妻子也体弱多病，常年卧床不起。为了维持生计，王二每天都到村里去帮人做些零工。他总是起早贪黑，省吃俭用，但日子还是过得很艰难。 有一天，村里来了一个富商，他听说王二勤劳肯干，便雇他到自己家做工。王二非常高兴，终于可以赚些钱补贴家用，为妻子治病了。 富商对王二很信任，让他负责管理仓库。王二做事认真负责，富商对他很满意，经常给他一些钱财作为奖励。王二总是把这些钱财省下来，用来给妻子治病，或者买一些米面，改善家里的生活。 日子一天一天地过去了，王二的妻子也渐渐地恢复了健康。他们一家终于可以过上安稳的生活了。王二也很高兴，他终于可以摆脱贫困，过上好日子了。
Once upon a time, there was a poor farmer named Wang Er who lived in a small mountain village. His family was penniless, they had no land and only a dilapidated thatched house. Wang Er's wife was also frail and sickly and often bedridden. To make ends meet, Wang Er worked odd jobs in the village every day. He always got up early and went to bed late, saved every penny, but life was still very difficult. One day, a wealthy merchant came to the village. He had heard of Wang Er's hard work and willingness to work, so he hired him to work at his home. Wang Er was very happy, finally he could earn some money to support his family and treat his wife. The wealthy merchant trusted Wang Er and put him in charge of managing the warehouse. Wang Er worked diligently and responsibly, the wealthy merchant was very satisfied with him and often rewarded him with money. Wang Er always saved this money, using it to treat his wife or buy some rice and flour to improve the living conditions of his family. As the days passed, Wang Er's wife gradually recovered her health. Their family could finally live a stable life. Wang Er was also happy, he could finally escape poverty and live a good life.
Usage
形容一个人或一个家庭十分贫穷，可以用在描述个人经历、社会现状、家庭状况等方面。
Describes a person or a family who is very poor. It can be used to describe personal experiences, social conditions, or family circumstances.
Examples
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他家一贫如洗，却依然过得很快乐。
ta jia yi pin ru xi, que yiran guo de hen kuai le.
His family is penniless, but they are still very happy.
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经过这场灾难，他家一贫如洗，无家可归。
jing guo zhe chang zai nan, ta jia yi pin ru xi, wu jia ke gui
After the disaster, his family was penniless and homeless.