I would not be so fastidious as you are for a kingdom.

My comments:

I wouldn’t for the world.

That’s just putting it in another way. A kingdom is a country, a throne, or a symbol of something highly valuable and important.

Here, “for a kingdom” is an expression that is used for emphasis. Put literally, “I” would not be so fastidious as you are if you give me anything, even a kingdom.

In other words, it would not happen.

“For a kingdom” is a variation from the more commonplace expression “for the world”.

Always used in the negative, though.

I wouldn’t do it, for example. Not for the world.

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本文僅代表作者本人觀點，與本網立場無關。歡迎大家討論學術問題，尊重他人，禁止人身攻擊和發布一切違反國家現行法律法規的內容。

About the author:

Zhang Xin（張欣） has been with China Daily since 1988, when he graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Write him at: zhangxin@chinadaily.com.cn, or raise a question for potential use in a future column.