《后汉书·列传·杜栾刘李刘谢列传》
官吏和百姓到京师申诉，陈耽与议郎曹操上书说 ：公卿太多庇护与他们有关系的人，所谓检举，是放走鸱枭囚禁鸾凤。 
吏人诣阙陈诉，耽与议郎曹操上言： 公卿所举，率党其私，所谓放鸱枭而囚鸾凤。 
Officials and common people arrived at the Capital to lodge appeals, and Chen Dan and the Gentlemen Consultant Cao Cao memorialized the emperor, stating that: The dukes and marquises were being overly protective of their affiliated individuals, and as for the so-called suppression, it was like releasing owls and imprisoning phoenixes.