金毛鼠

jīnmáoshǔ

idiom

Meanings

1 a literate but corrupt official
2 a crooked scholar-bureaucrat (literally 'golden-furred rat')

Characters

Examples

那个贪官不过是个披着文化外衣的金毛鼠。

Nàge tānguān búguò shì ge pī zhe wénhuà wàiyī de jīnmáoshǔ.

That corrupt official is nothing but a crooked scholar-bureaucrat dressed up in learning.

历史上像金毛鼠那样的人物不少。

Lìshǐ shàng xiàng jīnmáoshǔ nàyàng de rénwù bù shǎo.

History has no shortage of figures like the 'golden-furred rats' — educated but crooked.

Tips

culture

The image combines 金毛 (glossy, high-status fur — a marker of refinement) with 鼠 (a pilfering rodent). The phrase targets officials whose literacy or status is just a cover for graft.

Stroke Order

金 jīn

毛 máo

鼠 shǔ