rely on patronage; under the protection of
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesverb
to rely on the protection of elders or powerful people; to be under the patronage of
literaryFormal and literary usage, often implying reliance on family connections, ancestral prestige, or powerful backers. Commonly used in written Chinese and formal contexts.
Tā他
tuō托
bì庇
yú于
zǔ祖
fù父
de的
shēng声
wàng望
cái才
dé得
dào到
le了
zhè这
fèn份
gōng工
zuò作
。
He only got this job by relying on his grandfather's reputation.
Tuō托
bì庇
zǔ祖
yīn荫
，
tā他
yī一
shēng生
shùn顺
suì遂
，
shǎo少
yǒu有
kǎn坎
kě坷
。
Protected by his ancestors' shadow, his whole life went smoothly with few hardships.
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Zài在
nà那
gè个
shí时
dài代
，
xǔ许
duō多
hán寒
mén门
dú读
shū书
rén人
zhǐ只
néng能
tuō托
bì庇
yú于
quán权
guì贵
zhī之
jiā家
yǐ以
qiú求
chū出
lù路
。
In that era, many poor scholars could only rely on the protection of powerful families to seek a way out.