為五斗米折腰 — wei4 wu3 dou3 mi3 zhe2 yao1

1

wei⁴

(allusion to Tao Qian 陶潛|陶潜 [Tao2 Qian2], who used this phrase when he resigned from government service rather than show subservience to a visiting inspector) to bow and scrape for five pecks of rice (that being a part of his salary as a local magistrate)/(fig.) to compromise one's principles for the sake of a salary

2

wu³

(allusion to Tao Qian 陶潛|陶潜 [Tao2 Qian2], who used this phrase when he resigned from government service rather than show subservience to a visiting inspector) to bow and scrape for five pecks of rice (that being a part of his salary as a local magistrate)/(fig.) to compromise one's principles for the sake of a salary

3

dou³

(allusion to Tao Qian 陶潛|陶潜 [Tao2 Qian2], who used this phrase when he resigned from government service rather than show subservience to a visiting inspector) to bow and scrape for five pecks of rice (that being a part of his salary as a local magistrate)/(fig.) to compromise one's principles for the sake of a salary

4

mi³

(allusion to Tao Qian 陶潛|陶潜 [Tao2 Qian2], who used this phrase when he resigned from government service rather than show subservience to a visiting inspector) to bow and scrape for five pecks of rice (that being a part of his salary as a local magistrate)/(fig.) to compromise one's principles for the sake of a salary

5

zhe²

(allusion to Tao Qian 陶潛|陶潜 [Tao2 Qian2], who used this phrase when he resigned from government service rather than show subservience to a visiting inspector) to bow and scrape for five pecks of rice (that being a part of his salary as a local magistrate)/(fig.) to compromise one's principles for the sake of a salary

6

yao¹

(allusion to Tao Qian 陶潛|陶潜 [Tao2 Qian2], who used this phrase when he resigned from government service rather than show subservience to a visiting inspector) to bow and scrape for five pecks of rice (that being a part of his salary as a local magistrate)/(fig.) to compromise one's principles for the sake of a salary

As word