嗟来之食 Food given with contempt
Explanation
指带有侮辱性的施舍。比喻即使是施舍，也不愿接受带有侮辱性的东西。
Refers to alms given with insult. It is a metaphor that even in the form of alms, one does not want to accept anything humiliating.
Origin Story
春秋时期，齐国发生严重的饥荒，许多人饿死街头。贵族钱敖为了显示自己的仁慈，在大路上摆放食物施舍给饥饿的百姓。当一位衣衫褴褛的饥民走过时，钱敖傲慢地喊道："喂，来吃吧！"饥民看了一眼钱敖轻蔑的眼神和堆放在地上的食物，他宁死也不愿接受这份带有侮辱性的施舍，毅然决然地离开了。他明白，即使是救命的食物，如果带着侮辱，也比死亡更让人难以忍受。这个故事后来就演变成了成语"嗟来之食"，用来形容带有侮辱性的施舍，以及人们对于尊严的坚守。
During the Spring and Autumn period, a severe famine struck the state of Qi, and many people died of starvation in the streets. To show his benevolence, the nobleman Qian Ao placed food on the road to give to the starving people. When a ragged beggar walked by, Qian Ao arrogantly shouted: "Hey, come and eat!" The beggar looked at Qian Ao's contemptuous look and the food piled on the ground, and he would rather die than accept this humiliating alms, and resolutely left. He understood that even if it was life-saving food, if it came with humiliation, it would be more unbearable than death. This story later evolved into the idiom "Jiē lái zhī shí", used to describe alms given with humiliation, and people's adherence to dignity.
Usage
用来形容带有侮辱性的施舍，以及人们对于尊严的坚守。
Used to describe alms given with humiliation, and people's adherence to dignity.
Examples
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他宁愿饿死，也不吃嗟来之食。
tā níngyuàn è sǐ, yě bù chī jiē lái zhī shí
He would rather starve to death than eat the food given with contempt.
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面对施舍者居高临下的态度，他选择了拒绝嗟来之食。
miànduì shīshě zhě jū gāo lín xià de tàidu, tā xuǎnzé le jùjué jiē lái zhī shí
Faced with the condescending attitude of the giver, he chose to refuse the alms