出处：按学科分类—语言、文字 中国对外翻译出版公司《汉英成语词典》第239页（214字）
形容战争或灾荒过后社会凋敝的状况，例兵乱之后，荒年接踵，到处十室九空，哪里还负担得起如此重的赋税呢?
War was followed by drought．Whole towns became deserted．Under the circumstances，no one could pay such high taxes!