the widower , the widow , the orphan and the childless(guān guǎ gū dú)

the widower , the widow , the orphan and the childless

Widower, widower and lonely is a Chinese idiom, pronounced Gu ā NGU ǎ g ū D ú, which generally refers to people who have no labor force and no relatives to support. From the book of rites · Liyun written by Dai Sheng in the Western Han Dynasty. Widower: an old man who has no or no wife. Widowed: a woman who is old and unmarried or widowed. Orphan: a child whose father or parents died at a young age. Only: old and childless.

They are now part of the "special family" group.

Idioms and allusions

The book of rites says: "those who are young but without a father are called orphans; those who are old but without children are called only; those who are old but without a wife are called widowers; those who are old but without a husband are called widows." "To make the old have a place to die, the strong have a place to use, the young have a place to grow up, the young have a place to grow up, the old (with" widower "), the widowed, the orphaned, the single, the disabled and the sick all have a place to support."

Discrimination of words

Joint type: used as subject, object and attribute; does not specifically refer to one. Synonyms: lonely, helpless, unaccompanied, lonely; Antonyms: five generations together, five generations prosperous

Interpretation of Idioms

What is "widowed and lonely"? According to the book of rites, "those who are young but without a father are called orphans; those who are old but without children are called only; those who are old but without a wife are called widowers; those who are old but without a husband are called widows." "Mencius · Liang Hui Wang" said: "old without a wife is widower, old without a husband is widower, old without a son is alone, young without a father is lonely." ——An old man without a wife is called a "widower", an old woman without a husband is called a "widow", an old man without children is called an "only child", and an old man with a dead father is called an "orphan". Mencius also called these four kinds of people "poor people" (poor people): "these four are the poor people in the world who have no complaints.". our so-called "widowed, widowed and lonely" does not stick to the above definition and distinction, but refers to all the people who have lost the ability to work, can not live independently, and have no relatives to support. as for the so-called "disabled disease", it generally refers to people who are deaf, dumb, blind, limbs disabled, nervous disorder, or long-term sick, that is, the meaning of "disabled". If we use the term "the old, the weak, the sick and the disabled", then "the widows, the widows, the lonely and the disabled" can almost be included.

Idioms and allusions

In the book of rites · Liyun, there are several sentences like this in the chapter of great harmony and the journey to the great road So that the old will have a place to die, the strong will have a place to use, the young will have a place to grow up, and the young will have a place to grow up It means: let the old have a proper home, the young have a certain use, the young have their due conditions for growth, and the widows, the lonely and the disabled have the right to be supported. This is the so-called "Great Harmony World" conceived by Confucianism.

Idiom story

During the Warring States period, King Xuan of Qi was advised to destroy the Ming hall where the emperor of Zhou visited the princes. He consulted Mencius. Mencius thought that if the king's government was to be carried out, it could not be destroyed, because King Wen of Zhou unified the world by carrying out the king's government. In addition to giving preferential treatment to officials, he also took special care of the helpless people such as widowers, widows, single husbands and orphans. King Xuan of Qi thought it was reasonable.

Examples of Idioms

In the past, some prodigal sons who could not fight back and who could not be detained have turned back, long-term civil disputes have been resolved, widows and widows have been taken care of enthusiastically, and the lack of science, technology and cultural life has been improved. The so-called "win the battle", that is to say, in addition to a small number of disabled people who have lost the ability to work, widows, widows and other poor people in need of civil relief, as well as the poor people caused by irresistible natural disasters, they basically have to solve the problem of food and clothing. Communism It can realize the "Great Harmony World" that the ancients said "make the old have a place to die, the strong have a place to use, the young have a strong point, the widows, the lonely and the disabled have a place to support". (Tao Zhu's lofty ideal)

Chinese PinYin : guān guǎ gū dú