📖 Meaning
It refers to the tyrannical and oppressive imposition of heavy taxes and levies on the common people. The phrase condemns rulers or officials who ruthlessly extract wealth through exorbitant exactions, treating the populace as a resource to be drained. In essence, it describes the cruel practice of over-taxation and exploitative collection.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom appears in the Northern Song to Southern Song dynasty literary collection 'Wen Jian Hou Lu' (闻见后录), a sequel to Shao Bo's record of anecdotes and observations compiled around the late 11th to 12th century. In volume 28, the text describes an era of venomous taxation and ruthless collection, a time when the people were flogged and treated like oxen and horses. The passage notes that even amid such oppression, a transport official (漕) at Kuizhou and later at Tongguan managed the region so well that the people of Sichuan remained at peace and could rely on him daily. The idiom thus crystallizes the idea of harsh, abusive fiscal exploitation, often cited to criticize tyrannical governance.
💡 Example Usage
旧时官府毒赋剩敛，百姓难以度日。
In olden days, when officials imposed poisonous levies and excessive collections, the common people could barely scrape by.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 毒赋剩敛
- Pinyin: dú fù shèng liǎn
- Literal Translation: poisonous, tax, excessive, collect
- Category: Power
- Characters: 4