临渊羡鱼

Lín Yuān Xiàn Yú

光是羡慕没有用,不如动手去做。空想不如行动。

Wishing for fish at the pond's edge is useless — better go home and weave a net.

古gǔ时shí候hòu,一yī位wèi老lǎo师shī带dài着zhe学xué生shēng在zài河hé边biān散sàn步bù。河hé水shuǐ清qīng清qīng,一yī群qún鱼yú在zài水shuǐ里lǐ游yóu来lái游yóu去qù,鱼yú鳞lín在zài阳yáng光guāng下xià闪shǎn闪shǎn发fā亮liàng。

一yī个gè学xué生shēng看kàn呆dāi了le,咂zā着zhe嘴zuǐ说shuō:“这zhè些xiē鱼yú真zhēn肥féi,要yào是shì能néng吃chī上shàng一yī条tiáo,该gāi多duō好hǎo啊a!”另lìng一yī个gè学xué生shēng也yě跟gēn着zhe叹tàn气qì:“可kě惜xī我wǒ们men又yòu没méi有yǒu网wǎng,只zhǐ能néng看kàn着zhe。”

老lǎo师shī听tīng了le,笑xiào着zhe说shuō:“临lín渊yuān羡xiàn鱼yú,不bù如rú退tuì而ér结jié网wǎng。站zhàn在zài水shuǐ边biān羡xiàn慕mù鱼yú,还hái不bù如rú回huí家jiā去qù织zhī一yī张zhāng网wǎng。”

学xué生shēng们men听tīng了le,都dōu低dī下xià了le头tóu。他tā们men明míng白bái了le:光guāng是shì站zhàn在zài那nà里lǐ空kōng羡xiàn慕mù,鱼yú是shì不bù会huì跳tiào到dào岸àn上shàng的de;要yào想xiǎng吃chī到dào鱼yú,就jiù要yào动dòng手shǒu准zhǔn备bèi工gōng具jù,认rèn真zhēn去qù做zuò。

这zhè句jù话huà出chū自zì汉hàn代dài的de《汉hàn书shū》。后hòu来lái,人rén们men常cháng用yòng“临lín渊yuān羡xiàn鱼yú”来lái提tí醒xǐng自zì己jǐ:空kōng想xiǎng没méi有yǒu用yòng,行xíng动dòng才cái重zhòng要yào。

Long ago, a teacher took his students for a walk along a river. The water was clear, and schools of fish were swimming back and forth, their scales flashing in the sunlight.

One student stared and said with a click of his tongue, “Those fish look so fat! If only we could eat one — how wonderful that would be.” Another sighed, “But we have no net. All we can do is look.”

Their teacher smiled. “Standing by the pool wishing for fish is not as good as going home and weaving a net.”

The students lowered their heads. They understood: no matter how much they envied the fish, the fish would never jump onto the bank. To eat fish, one must prepare the tools and do the work.

The saying comes from the Han dynasty history Hanshu. Today “envying fish by the water” reminds us that wishing alone changes nothing — only action does.