刻舟求剑

Kè Zhōu Qiú Jiàn

在船上刻记号找掉到河里的剑。比喻不懂变通，做事死板。

Carve the boat to find the sword — to cling to rigid methods when the world has moved on.

从cóng前qián，有yǒu一yí个gè楚chǔ国guó人rén坐zuò船chuán过guò江jiāng。船chuán开kāi到dào江jiāng心xīn时shí，他tā腰yāo上shàng挂guà的de宝bǎo剑jiàn不bù小xiǎo心xīn掉diào进jìn了le水shuǐ里lǐ。

别bié人rén都dōu替tì他tā着zháo急jí，赶gǎn他tā下xià水shuǐ去qù捞lāo。可kě他tā一yì点diǎn也yě不bù慌huāng，拿ná出chū小xiǎo刀dāo，在zài船chuán边biān掉diào剑jiàn的de地dì方fāng刻kè了le一yí个gè记jì号hào，慢màn慢màn地de说shuō：“我wǒ的de剑jiàn就jiù是shì从cóng这zhè里lǐ掉diào下xià去qù的de。”

船chuán靠kào岸àn了le，他tā才cái顺shùn着zhe刻kè的de记jì号hào跳tiào下xià水shuǐ去qù找zhǎo剑jiàn。当dāng然rán，怎zěn么me也yě找zhǎo不bù到dào——船chuán早zǎo已yǐ走zǒu出chū了le很hěn远yuǎn，剑jiàn还hái留liú在zài江jiāng心xīn呢ne。旁páng边biān的de人rén都dōu忍rěn不bù住zhù笑xiào了le起qǐ来lái。

这zhè个ge故gù事shì告gào诉sù我wǒ们men：情qíng况kuàng在zài变biàn，方fāng法fǎ也yě要yào跟gēn着zhe变biàn。像xiàng那nà个ge楚chǔ国guó人rén一yí样yàng“刻kè舟zhōu求qiú剑jiàn”，只zhǐ会huì白bái费fèi力lì气qì。

Long ago, a man from Chu was crossing a river by boat. Halfway across, the sword hanging at his waist slipped and plunged into the water.

Everyone around him was alarmed and urged him to jump in and look. But he was perfectly calm. He took out a small knife and carefully carved a mark on the side of the boat where the sword had fallen, saying, “This is the spot where my sword went in.”

When the boat reached the far shore, he stepped into the water beneath the mark — and of course, no sword. The boat had traveled on; the sword lay far behind, at the bottom of the middle of the river. The people nearby couldn't help laughing.

The story reminds us: when the situation changes, our methods must change with it. Marking the boat to find the sword only wastes effort.