To regard walking at a leisurely pace the same as riding in a vehicle
Indicates that one is content with living modestly
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车站离这不远,我们还是安步当车吧! | Chēzhàn lí zhè bù yuǎn, wǒmen háishì ānbùdàngchē ba!
The station isn't far from here, let's just go on foot!
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李老师上下班从不坐车,他风趣地说:"我这是安步当车,自享其乐" | Lǐ lǎoshī shàngxiàbān cóng bù zuòchē, tā fēngqù de shuō: "Wǒ zhè shì ānbùdàngchē, zì xiǎng qí lè"
Teacher Li never drives to work. He humorously says, "I'm enjoying the modest life."
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Per the 现代汉语规范词典 (xiàndài hànyǔ guīfàn cídiǎn), 当 is definitely supposed to be read as dàng and not the usual dāng
《战国策》(Zhàn Gúo Cè, Strategies of the Warring States), a work which chronicled the Warring States Period (475 - 220 BC)
During the Warring States period, there was a scholar named 颜斶 (Yán Chù). One time, King Xuān of the kingdom of 齐 (Qí) summoned the scholar to his palace. When he arrived, the king behaved very arrogantly, and 颜斶 politely held his ground. After the king realized that he had been in the wrong, he wanted 颜斶 to accept him as his student. As an incentive, the king promised, "I will not only provide you with excellent food, but I'll also give you an excellent carriage to ride." 颜 Jiā declined, replying, "如果这样,我情愿回去,‘晚食以当肉, 安步以当车‘" (Rúguǒ zhèyàng, wǒ qíngyuàn huíqù,'wǎn shí yǐ dāng ròu, ān bù yǐ dāng chē'). Roughly, he meant that he'd consider eating late the same as eating meat, and he'd consider walking slowly the same as riding a carriage