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Change log entry 74748
Processed by: richwarm (2022-05-04 12:07:58 UTC)
Comment: << review queue entry 70821 - submitted by 'haton' >>
https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%90%83%E6%B0%B4%E4%B8%8D%E5%BF%98%E6%8C%96%E4%BA%95%E4%BA%BA/4526495
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Editor: It seems to be an old saying that long predates the Mao incident described in the Baike article. And it's used in a great many varied contexts. To give one example, the saying was quoted by Zhou Enlai in reference to those who made possible the resumption of diplomatic relations with Japan. So I can't see why we should mention one particular application of the saying. We don't normally do that when we write a definition, and other dictionaries all seem to keep it generic in their definitions of this saying -- they do not mention any specific historical incident. For example, New Age translates the saying as "when you drink the water, think of those who dug the well", and they give an example of usage that is translated as "We shall always remember these inventors, as people should never forget their benefactors."

Please resubmit with comments if you disagree.
Diff:
# - 吃水不忘掘井人 吃水不忘掘井人 [chi1 shui3 bu4 wang4 jue2 jing3 ren2] /Drinking the water of a well, one should never forget who dug it. (idiom)/
# + 吃水不忘掘井人 吃水不忘掘井人 [chi1 shui3 bu4 wang4 jue2 jing3 ren2] /Drinking the water of a well, one should never forget who dug it. (idiom)/(used as homage to Chairman Mao)/
By MDBG 2025
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