饥寒交迫 jī hán jiāo pò hungry and cold

Explanation

形容生活极端贫困，又冷又饿。

describes extreme poverty, hunger and cold.

Origin Story

唐朝初年，一位名叫李白的年轻书生，怀揣着满腹经纶和一颗济世救民的心，只身一人来到长安，想要参加科举考试，实现自己的抱负。然而，命运弄人，他屡试不第，囊中羞涩，最终落魄街头，饥寒交迫。他白天四处奔波，寻找微薄的生计，夜晚则蜷缩在破庙的角落里，忍受着刺骨的寒风和饥饿的折磨。但他依然没有放弃自己的理想，依然坚持读书写作，期盼着有一天能够改变自己的命运。他的经历，成为了后世文人骚客笔下流传千古的佳话。

táng cháo chū nián, yī wèi míng jiào lǐ bái de nián qīng shū shēng, huái chuāi zhe mǎn fù jīng lún hé yī kē jì shì jiù mín de xīn, zhǐ shēn yī rén lái dào cháng ān, xiǎng yào cān jiā kē jǔ kǎo shì, shí xiàn zì jǐ de bào fù。rán ér, mìng yùn nòng rén, tā lǚ shì bù dì, náng zhōng xiū sè, zuì zhōng luò pò jiē tóu, jī hán jiāo pò。tā bái tiān sì chù bēn bō, xún zhǎo wēi bó de shēng jì, yè wǎn zé quán suō zài pò miào de jiǎo luò lǐ, rěn shòu zhe cì gǔ de hán fēng hé jī è de zhè mó。dàn tā yī rán méi yǒu fàng qì zì jǐ de lǐ xiǎng, yī rán jiān chí dú shū xiě zuò, qī pàn zhe yǒu yī tiān néng gòu gǎi biàn zì jǐ de mìng yùn。tā de jīng lì, chéng wéi le hòu shì wén rén sāo kè bǐ xià liú chuán qiān gǔ de jiā huà。

In the early Tang Dynasty, a young scholar named Li Bai, with great knowledge and a heart to save the world, came to Chang'an alone to take the imperial examinations and realize his ambitions. Fate, however, had other plans. He failed the examinations repeatedly, became penniless, and ended up on the streets, hungry and cold. By day he searched for meager sustenance, by night he huddled in the corner of a dilapidated temple, enduring the biting wind and gnawing hunger. Yet, he never abandoned his ideals, continuing to read and write, hoping one day to change his fate. His story became a legend.

Usage

作谓语、宾语、定语；形容生活极端贫困

zuò wèiyǔ, bīnyǔ, dìngyǔ; xiáorong shēnghuó jí duān pínkùn

as predicate, object, attributive; describes extreme poverty

Examples

• 寒冬腊月，饥寒交迫的难民们瑟瑟发抖。

  hán dōng là yuè, jī hán jiāo pò de nán mín men sè sè fā dǒu。

  In the cold winter, the starving and freezing refugees shivered.

• 连续几天的暴雨，使他们饥寒交迫，几乎难以生存。

  lián xù jǐ tiān de bào yǔ, shǐ tā men jī hán jiāo pò, jī hū nán yǐ shēng cún。

  Several days of heavy rain left them hungry and cold, barely able to survive.

• 战争时期，许多士兵都经历过饥寒交迫的困境。

  zhàn zhēng shí qī, xǔ duō shì bīng dōu jīng lì guò jī hán jiāo pò de kùn jìng。

  During the war, many soldiers experienced the hardships of hunger and cold.

Related Idioms

• 啼饥号寒

• 饥寒交切

Opposite Idioms

• 丰衣足食

• 衣食无忧