rob one 's belly to cover one 's back

rob one 's belly to cover one 's back

Chinese idiom, Pinyin is w ā R ò UB ǔ Chu ā ng, refers to only looking at the present, using harmful methods to rescue. One is to gouge out the flesh to mend the sores. It comes from the poem "Ode to Tian family" written by Nie Yizhong in Tang Dynasty.

The origin of Idioms

Nie Yizhong's poem "Ode to Tian family" in Tang Dynasty: "sell new silk in February, sell new Valley in May; cure sore in front of eyes, gouge out heart flesh."

Idiom usage

Guo Moruo's Wanyin: "thanks to his wife, I can barely maintain the economy."

Analysis of Idioms

Cut out the flesh to mend the sores