to scrape the earth; to fleece the people
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesverb
to fleece the people; to extort and exploit the common folk
literaryA vivid metaphorical idiom, often describing corrupt officials or ruthless exploiters who squeeze every bit of wealth from the people, as if scraping the very skin off the earth.
Nà那
ge个
tān贪
guān官
zài在
rèn任
qī期
jiān间
pīn拼
mìng命
guā刮
dì地
pí皮
，
nòng弄
de得
mín民
bù不
liáo聊
shēng生
。
That corrupt official scraped the earth desperately during his tenure, making life unbearable for the people.
Zhè这
xiē些
kē苛
juān捐
zá杂
shuì税
jiǎn简
zhí直
jiù就
shì是
zài在
guā刮
dì地
pí皮
。
These exorbitant taxes and levies are essentially fleecing the people.
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Jiù旧
shè社
huì会
de的
dì地
zhǔ主
kào靠
zhe着
guā刮
dì地
pí皮
jī积
lěi累
le了
jù巨
é额
cái财
fù富
。
Landlords in the old society amassed huge fortunes by fleecing the people.