“不为五斗米折腰”是晋朝大诗人陶渊明说过的话。“五斗米”指微薄的俸禄,“折腰”指弯腰鞠躬,全句意为不因为求取微薄的俸禄而向上司卑躬屈膝,它反映了陶渊明的清高与孤傲。陶渊明是东晋大司马陶侃的曾孙,年轻时品德高尚,博学而善于写诗作文,但当时社会动荡,政治黑暗,他对现实极为不满。因为家庭贫困,出任过两次地方小官,终因看不惯官场的恶习而辞职了。 “Not to get rid of the five bucket meters” is the words of Tao Yuanming, a great poet of the Jin Dynasty. “Five buckets of rice” refers to meager gentry. “Folding back” refers to bending and squatting. The whole sentence means that he does not bow to his superiors for seeking a meager salary. It reflects Tao Yuanming’s loftiness and aloofness. Tao Yuanming was the great-grandson of Sima Taozhen of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. He was highly elitist in his young age and was erudite and good at writing poems and writings. However, at the time of social unrest and political darkness, he was extremely dissatisfied with reality. Because the family was impoverished, he served as a small local official twice and eventually resigned because he couldn’t understand the bad habits of the officialdom.