窮棒子

窮棒子

1. (derogatory) pauper; the destitute

   • 這個合作社所在的地方是一個山地，歷來很窮，年年靠人民政府運糧去救濟。一九五三年開始辦社的時候，人們把它叫做「窮棒子社」。 [MSC, trad.]
     这个合作社所在的地方是一个山地，历来很穷，年年靠人民政府运粮去救济。一九五三年开始办社的时候，人们把它叫做「穷棒子社」。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 1957, 毛澤東 (Mao Zedong), 《關於正確處理人民內部矛盾的問題》 (On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People), 《毛澤東選集》. English translation based on the Foreign Languages Press edition

     Zhège hézuòshè suǒzài de dìfang shì yīge shāndì, lìlái hěn qióng, niánnián kào Rénmín Zhèngfǔ yùnliáng qù jiùjì. 1953 nián kāishǐ bànshè de shíhou, rénmen bǎ tā jiàozuò “qióngbàngzi shè”. [Pinyin]

     This co-operative is situated in a hilly region which was very poor in the past and which for a number of years depended on relief grain from the People’s Government. When the co-operative was first set up in 1953, people called it the “paupers’ co-op”.

2. poor but spirited person