“不名一钱”这则成语的“名”是占有，不名一钱表示一个钱也没有，比喻极度贫穷。
这个成语来源于《史记.佞幸列传》，长公主赐邓通，吏辄随没入之，一簪不得著身。于是长公主乃令假衣食，竟不得名一钱，寄死人家。
汉文帝当政的时候，有个名叫邓通的善于划船，被选到宫里当御船的水手。一天夜里，文帝做了一个梦，梦中他想升天，却怎么也上不去。就在这时候，有个头戴黄帽的人在背后推他，终于使他上了天。他回过头来看推他的人，发现那人的衣带在背后打了个结。
第 二天，文帝来到建在宫西苍池中的渐台，见到有个御船水手头戴黄帽，衣带在背后打了个结，正是他梦中遇见的人。召来一询问，那人名叫邓通。文帝想，他既然能 把自己推上天，必定是个奇才，便非常宠爱他。邓通也老实谨慎，不随便和外人交往。文帝多次赏赐他的钱财，总数上亿之多，还授予他上大夫的官职。 其实，邓通并没有什么才能。他自己处事谨慎，也不能推荐贤士，只是谄媚文帝而已。有一次，文帝命一个善于算命的人去给邓通相面，那人相面反对文帝说：“邓 通这个人将来要贫饿而死。”
汉文帝忧虑地说：“能让邓通富起来的只有我，我怎么会叫他受穷呢？”
于是，文帝下令把 蜀郡严道的一座铜山赐给邓通，允许他自已铸钱。从此邓通发了大财，他铸造的铜钱布满天下，人人都知道有“邓氏钱”。 有一天，文帝背上生了 个疮，脓血流个不停。邓通觉得孝顺皇帝的机会到了，便天天进宫去，用嘴巴替文帝吮吸脓血。不过，文帝心中还是不高兴。一天他问邓通：“天下谁最爱我？”
邓通恭顺地回答：“应该说没有谁比太子更爱陛下的了。”
一次太子刘启来看望文帝病情，文帝要他吮脓血。太子见疮口脓血模糊，腥臭难闻，禁不住一阵恶心，但又不敢违抗，只得硬着头皮吮吸，可是脸色很难看。后来他听说，邓通常为文帝吮吸脓血，感到惭愧，也因此而忌恨邓通。
文帝死后，刘启即位，史称汉景帝。景帝免去邓通的官职，让他回家闲居。不久，有人告发邓通偷盗境外的铸钱。景帝派人调查，结果确有此事，便把邓通家的钱财 全部没收，邓通顿时变成了穷光蛋，还欠下好几亿钱的债。还是景帝的姐姐长公主记住文帝不让他饿死的遗言，赐给他一些钱财。但是，官吏马上把这些钱财用来抵 债，连一根簪子都不让他留下。长公主知道后，就让手下人借给他 些衣食和钱。这样，邓通不能占有一个钱，只能寄食在别人家里直到死去。
English Edition:
The phrase “bu ming yi qian” means penniless. In this idiom, the character “ming” means to have or possess. It is often used to refer to a person who is extremely poor or flat broke.
During the Han Dynasty in ancient China, there lived a very good rower named Deng Tong. He was so good at it that he was selected to row a boat for Emperor Wendi of the time. One night, the emperor dreamed a dream in which he tried to go up to Heaven, but simply couldn’t. At this moment, he felt some one give him a push, and up to Heaven he went. When he turned around, he saw that the person who had given him a hand had a yellow cap on his head and strip knots behind.
The next day, when he went to take a boat, he found that Deng Tong was the person he saw in his dream. He thought to himself: “Since Deng Tong could push me up to Heaven, he must be a very capable person. He offered him an official post in the palace and gave him a lot of money. Although honest and prudent, Deng Tong turned out to be good at nothing except rowing. One day, a fortune-teller came to the palace, and the emperor asked him to tell Deng Tong’s fortune. After careful study of Deng Tong, the fortune-teller told the emperor that Deng Tong would die in poverty.
Emperor Wendi was very worried. He knew that he was the only person who could make Deng Tong rich. So he gave Deng Tong a copper mine and endowed him the right to mint money. Hence Deng Tong became very rich, and the coins made in his name were very popular. Naturally, Deng Tong was very grateful.
Later, Emperor Wendi had a very bad sore on his back, and the pus kept oozing out. When Deng Tong learned of this, he went to the palace every day to look after the emperor. He was so devoted, he even sucked the wound for the emperor. One day, the emperor asked Deng Tong who loved the emperor most. Deng Tong obediently said that it was the prince. Hearing this, the emperor wanted proof. When the prince came to see him, the emperor told him to suck the pus out for him. Seeing the running wound, the prince felt sick, but had to obey his father, and did it very reluctantly. Later, when he learned that Deng Tong often sucked the wound for his father, he felt very embarrassed, and also envied and hated him for it.
After Emperor Wendi died, the prince was crowned emperor. Soon after he came into power, he removed Deng Tong from his official post and later he made an excuse and confiscated all his property and money. Deng Tong was penniless, and he also had heavy debts. When the late emperor’s sister learned this, she sent some money to Deng Tong, because she knew her brother once vowed never to let him go hungry. But her money didn’t reach Deng Tong, for it was used to pay his debts. So she had to send food and clothes to Deng Tong instead. In this way, Deng Tong never again had a penny of his own. From Deng Tong’s sad fate came the phrase “bu ming yi qian”. Now it is often used to describe a person in dire poverty.
(Source:english.cri.cn)
