為五斗米折腰

1. • (allusion to Tao Qian 陶潜 táoqián, who used this phrase when he resigned from government service rather than show subservience to a visiting inspector) to bow and scrape for five pecks of rice (that being a part of his salary as a local magistrate)
2. • to compromise one's principles for the sake of a salary

     fig.

Character by character

• 為(wèi)because of
• 五(wǔ)five
• 斗(dǒu)dry measure for grain equal to ten 升 shēng or one-tenth of a 石 dàn
• 米(mǐ)surname Mi
• 折(zhé)break
• 腰(yāo)the waist and lower back