Japanese

たんぼくじきん
Meaning: refusing to accept money or rewards that are not justified
Part of Speech: Noun, Four-character idiom

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Example

彼は不正な報酬をきっぱりと拒否し、端木辞金の信念を貫いた。
He flatly refused the unjust reward and held fast to the belief of '端木辞金' (refusing unjustified money).

Usage Notes

Originates from a story about Duanmu (Zigong), a wealthy disciple of Confucius, who refused state reimbursement for ransoming citizens using his own funds. Refers to maintaining integrity by rejecting money one is not completely comfortable accepting.

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