Definition
一穷二白 is a four-character fixed phrase (成语) originally used to describe the extreme poverty and lack of basic infrastructure, industry, or culture in a place—especially applied to pre-reform China. '穷' means poverty, and '白' means blank (like a blank sheet of paper, lacking development). Together they mean 'poor and blank'—poor in material resources and blank in terms of modern industry, education, science, etc. It's often used to talk about starting from a very low base.
f.e.
poverty-stricken and lacking any industrial or cultural foundationpoor and blank (describing a place with no modern infrastructure)
Examples
- 一穷二白，。Nàge shānqū guòqù yī qióng èr bái, rújīn yǐjīng jiànqǐ le xuéxiào hé gōngchǎng.That mountainous area was once poverty-stricken and blank, but now schools and factories have been built.
- 一穷二白，。Wǒmen gōngsī shì zài yī qióng èr bái de jīchǔ shàng qǐbù de, suǒyǐ tèbié zhēnxī xiànzài de fāzhǎn chéngguǒ.Our company started from a poverty-stricken and blank foundation, so we especially cherish the achievements we have now.
- ，一穷二白，。Xīn Zhōngguó gāng chénglì shí, zhěnggè guójiā yī qióng èr bái, bǎifèidàixīng.When New China was first founded, the whole country was poor and blank, with many things waiting to be built.
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