asking for English idioms expressing this situation

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It happened some five hundred years ago. Upon learning his subjects were dying of starvation, the Chinese emperor was bewildered and he asked his ministers: "Why don't they eat some mince?" Mince was something basic and humble in the emperor's menu.

In Chinese, there is an idiom saying "a man speaking standing straight up feels no pain of the man who is under a heavy load upon his back."

Do we have any similar idiom expressing the same meaning in English?

It is like the famous French queen who asked why the hungery did eat some cake when she learnt her poor subjects were starving.

Philip · Accepted Answer

PchuangIt happened some five hundred years ago. Upon learning his subjects were dying of starvation, the Chinese emperor was bewildered and he asked his ministers: "Why don't they eat some mince?" Mince was something basic and humble in the emperor's menu.

In Chinese, there is an idiom saying "a man speaking standing straight up feels no pain of the man who is under a heavy load upon his back."

Do we have any similar idiom expressing the same meaning in English?

It is like the famous French queen who asked why the hungery did eat some cake when she learnt her poor subjects were starving.

I can't think of anything equivalent to this in English. It's quite a powerful statement (and image).

Pchuang · Answer

Thanks for your reply. I do understand that there is a difference between cultures, but I am still hoping there are something we share in our lives.

English Toolbox Co. · Answer

It doesn't exactly mirror the eloquent Chinese idiom, but something similar in English is "that's easy for you to say."  The emperor has all the money in the world, so it is "easy for him to say" that other people should eat mince (of course, he doesn't understand that even humble mince may be too expensive for the peasants to buy).  We often use this idiom to tell people they don't fully understand that things aren't as easy for other people.

Exp · Answer

PchuangIt is like the famous French queen who asked why the hungery did eat some cake when she learnt her poor subjects were starving.

From Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie-Antoinette): "The quote qu’ils mangent de la brioche ("Let them eat cake"). There are variety of versions in terms of the circumstances in the popular culture (ranging from peasants coming to her gate begging for food, to her driving through Paris and seeing the condition of the peasants), where she said this in response to the peasants."

Feebs11 · Answer

And it probably was not Marie Antoinette at all: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/227600.html

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