when one gets power, relatives benefit; guilt by association
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesidiom
when one person gains power or status, his relatives and friends also benefit; to ride on someone's coattails
formalDerives from the Han Dynasty legend of Liu An of Huainan, who supposedly ascended to immortality with his entire household, including chickens and dogs (as recorded in Wang Chong's Lunheng). Often used critically to describe nepotism or guilt by association.
Tā他
dāng当
le了
guān官
yǐ以
hòu后
，
qīn亲
qī戚
péng朋
yǒu友
dōu都
gēn跟
zhe着
fā发
le了
cái财
，
zhēn真
shì是
yī一
rén人
dé得
dào道
，
jī鸡
quǎn犬
shēng升
tiān天
。
After he became an official, all his relatives and friends got rich as well—truly when one man gets power, even his chickens and dogs rise to heaven.
Zhè这
zhǒng种
yī一
rén人
dé得
dào道
，
jī鸡
quǎn犬
shēng升
tiān天
de的
xiàn现
xiàng象
zài在
guān官
chǎng场
shàng上
hěn很
cháng常
jiàn见
。
This phenomenon of riding on coattails is very common in official circles.
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Bù不
néng能
yīn因
wèi为
yī一
rén人
dé得
dào道
，
jī鸡
quǎn犬
shēng升
tiān天
，
jiù就
ràng让
zhěng整
gè个
jiā家
zú族
dōu都
zhàn占
jù据
zhòng重
yào要
zhí职
wèi位
。
We cannot allow the whole clan to occupy important positions just because of nepotism.