‘担梯看唔着数簿’

‘担梯看唔着数簿’is a Teochew proverb which behind is a folk story.THe sentence literally means: You can’t see the accounts even if you bring a ladder and stand on it.It is a metaphor for those who manage public funds, seize financial power, and do everything they can to avoid public supervision and enrich themselves.

‘担梯’means bring a ladder.’ 看唔着’ means can’t see.’数簿’ means accounts.

Practice speaking ‘担梯看唔着数簿’ in Teochew dialect follow the audio below:

Numbers of commerce and charity organizations are everywhere

At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, the feudal dynasty declined. Western cultural thoughts and lifestyles impacted the Chinese land. Chambers of commerce, charity halls, and community halls were established in various places.

A director with evil intentions

Teochew, located on the coast of eastern Guangdong, was influenced by the West early. Various guilds and business groups were established one after another.

Among them, “Fulun Hall” was one of the largest charitable organizations at that time. There was a director in “Fulun Hall”, a Teochew ‘举人‘ (Juren,a successful candidate in the imperial examinations at the provincial level in the Ming and Qing Dynasty), surnamed Yuan, known as Yuan Juren. Although he was talented, he had bad intentions.

Account book on the high wall

During the period when Yuan Juren was the director of “Fulun Hall”, he used his position and status to embezzle donations from the public.

Once, Yuan Juren presided over the construction of “Fulun Hall”. During the renovation process, Yuan Juren tried every means to embezzle donations from the public.

After the renovation was completed, in order to deceive the public, Yuan Juren wrote the destination and purpose of the donations in tiny calligraphy on red paper when publishing the accounts.

And posted it on the top of the screen wall of “Fulun Hall”. The people standing below could not see what was written on the red paper because the wall was high and the words were small.

People could only shake head and sigh:’担梯看唔着数簿'(You can’t see the accounts even if you bring a ladder and stand on it.)