eat immature crops due to food shortage
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 4 examplesverb
to harvest and eat crops before they are fully mature; to eat green
archaicA historical term referring to the practice of eating unripe crops out of necessity during food shortages, typically in the gap between harvests. It reflects hardship and subsistence living.
Jiù旧
shè社
huì会
yī一
dào到
chūn春
mò末
，
xǔ许
duō多
qióng穷
kǔ苦
rén人
jiā家
jiù就
kào靠
chī吃
qīng青
dù度
rì日
。
In the old society, when late spring arrived, many poor families had to rely on eating unripe crops to get by.
Nà那
chǎng场
hàn旱
zāi灾
guò过
hòu后
，
cūn村
mín民
men们
bù不
dé得
bù不
chī吃
qīng青
，
bǎ把
tián田
lǐ里
de的
nèn嫩
yù玉
mǐ米
quán全
zhāi摘
le了
。
After that drought, the villagers had no choice but to eat green, picking all the tender corn from the fields.
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Jiā家
lǐ里
duàn断
liáng粮
le了
，
zhǐ只
néng能
chī吃
qīng青
chōng充
jī饥
。
The family ran out of food and could only eat unripe crops to stave off hunger.
Qīng青
huáng黄
bù不
jiē接
de的
shí时
jié节
，
chī吃
qīng青
chéng成
le了
wú无
nài奈
de的
xuǎn选
zé择
。
During the lean season between harvests, eating green became a last resort.