民生凋敝 People's livelihood is impoverished
Explanation
形容人民生活困苦，社会经济衰败的景象。
Describes a scene of people's misery and economic decline.
Origin Story
话说东汉末年，天下大乱，战火纷飞，百姓流离失所。黄河泛滥，颗粒无收，加上官府贪污腐败，苛捐杂税层出不穷，民生凋敝，饿殍遍野。在一个偏僻的小村庄里，一位老农带着年幼的孙子艰难地生存着。他们的房屋破败不堪，衣衫褴褛，一日三餐难以为继。老农看着孙子瘦弱的身躯，心里充满了无奈和辛酸。为了让孙子活下去，他每天起早贪黑地劳作，可收成依然微薄。眼看着孙子一天天消瘦，老农心如刀绞，他默默地祈祷上苍，希望能够解救他们于水深火热之中。然而，天灾人祸接踵而至，村里的人们一个个倒下了，绝望的情绪笼罩着整个村庄。老农也病倒了，他躺在简陋的床上，回忆着往昔的美好时光，泪水止不住地流淌。他紧紧地抱着孙子，用尽最后的力气，为他唱着古老的童谣，希望能够给他带来一丝温暖和希望。最终，老农还是没能挺过去，他离开了人世，留下年幼的孙子孤苦伶仃。这个故事真实地反映了那个时代民生凋敝的悲惨景象，也让人们更加珍惜来之不易的和平与幸福。
In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the world was in chaos, and war raged. People were displaced and homeless. The Yellow River flooded, causing crop failures, and combined with corrupt officials and endless taxes, this led to the people's livelihood being impoverished, and corpses were everywhere. In a remote village, an old farmer and his young grandson were struggling to survive. Their house was dilapidated, their clothes were ragged, and they could barely eat. The old farmer looked at his grandson's frail body and was filled with helplessness and sorrow. To keep his grandson alive, he worked tirelessly every day, but the harvest remained meager. As his grandson became thinner and thinner, the old farmer's heart was torn. He silently prayed to heaven, hoping for salvation. However, natural disasters and man-made calamities struck one after another, and the villagers fell ill one by one. Despair enveloped the entire village. The old farmer also fell ill and lay on his simple bed, recalling past happy times, his tears flowing uncontrollably. He hugged his grandson tightly, using all his remaining strength, singing ancient lullabies, hoping to bring him some warmth and hope. In the end, the old farmer did not survive, and he passed away, leaving his young grandson alone and orphaned. This story truly reflects the tragic situation of the people's impoverished lives during that time, and makes us cherish the hard-won peace and happiness even more.
Usage
多用于形容社会动荡不安时期人民生活困苦的景象。
It is often used to describe the scene of people's suffering in times of social unrest.
Examples
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战乱时期，民生凋敝，百姓流离失所。
zhànluàn shíqī, mínshēng diāobì, bǎixìng liúlí shìsuǒ.
During the war, people's livelihood was impoverished, and the people were displaced.
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由于连年灾荒，民生凋敝，许多人活活饿死。
yóuyú liánnián zāihūang, mínshēng diāobì, xǔduō rén huóhuó èsǐ
Due to years of famine, people's livelihood was impoverished, and many people starved to death.