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Wed 23 Jan, 2013 10:33 am
Context:
Mr Dikötter, who has been studying Chinese rural history from 1958 to 1962, when the nation was facing a famine, compared the systematic torture, brutality, starvation and killing of Chinese peasants to the Second World War in its magnitude. At least 45 million people
were worked, starved or beaten to death in China over these four years; the worldwide death toll of the Second World War was 55 million.
More:
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/maos-great-leap-forward-killed-45-million-in-four-years-2081630.html
@oristarA,
At least 45 million people were worked... to death.
Quote:toil
1 [toil] Show IPA
...
verb (used without object)
4. to engage in hard and continuous work; labor arduously: to toil in the fields.
So, yes, "Were worked... to death" in this context does mean "were forced to toil."
At least 45 million people were worked, starved or beaten to death
The above sentence shows the use of a list (of maltreatments) (worked, starved, or beaten) which avoids this sort of repetitiousness: At least 45 million people were worked to death, starved to death or beaten to death.
Both replies are excellent.
Thank you.
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