守株待兔

Shǒu Zhū Dài Tù

守在树桩旁等兔子再来撞死。比喻想不劳而获,或死守老办法。

Waiting by the stump for a rabbit — hoping for another lucky break instead of doing the work.

sòngguóyǒunóngměitiānzàitiánxīnxīndezhòngtiánbiānyǒushùzhuāng

yǒutiānzhīzicóngyuǎnchùfēipǎoguòláitóuzhuàngzàishùzhuāngshàngzhuàngduànlezilenónggāogāoxìngxìngdezijiǎnhuíjiāzuòledùnhǎofàn

cónghòunóngxīnjiùxiǎngyàoshìměitiāndōuyǒuzizhuàngshàngláigāiduōhǎorēngxiàchútouzuòzàishùzhuāngpángbiāntiānyòutiāndeděngshìzàiméiyǒuèrzhīzichūxiàntiándezhuāngjiàhuānglezhǎngmǎnlecǎo

rénmentīngshuōledōuxiàohuàzhègenóngmíngbáitiānshànghuìdiàoxiànbǐnghǎoyùnhuìtiāntiāndōuláixiǎngyàoshōuhuòháiděi

In the state of Song there was a farmer who worked hard in his field every day. At the edge of the field stood a tree stump.

One day, a rabbit came tearing across the ground, ran straight into the stump, broke its neck, and died on the spot. The farmer happily carried it home and had a fine dinner.

From that day on, the farmer couldn't stop thinking: wouldn't it be wonderful if a rabbit came crashing into the stump every day? He dropped his hoe and sat down next to the stump to wait. Day after day he sat there — but no second rabbit ever came. Meanwhile, his field filled up with weeds and the crops were ruined.

When people heard about it, they laughed at him. The farmer never understood: good luck does not come every day. If you want a harvest, you have to work for it.