揠苗助长

Yà Miáo Zhù Zhǎng

把禾苗一棵棵拔高,想让它们快点长大。比喻违反规律,急于求成,反而把事情弄坏。

Pulling up the seedlings to help them grow — forcing things along against their nature only ruins what you were trying to help.

古gǔ时shí候hòu,宋sòng国guó有yǒu一yí个gè农nóng夫fū,在zài田tián里lǐ种zhǒng了le许xǔ多duō禾hé苗miáo。他tā每měi天tiān都dōu去qù田tián里lǐ看kàn,可kě是shì禾hé苗miáo长zhǎng得de很hěn慢màn,他tā心xīn里lǐ非fēi常cháng着zháo急jí。

有yǒu一yì天tiān,他tā突tū然rán想xiǎng出chū了le一yí个gè“好hǎo办bàn法fǎ”。他tā跑pǎo到dào田tián里lǐ,把bǎ禾hé苗miáo一yì棵kē一yì棵kē地de往wǎng上shàng拔bá,让ràng它tā们men看kàn起qǐ来lái都dōu长zhǎng高gāo了le一yí大dà截jié。从cóng早zǎo忙máng到dào晚wǎn,累lèi得de腰yāo酸suān背bèi痛tòng,他tā心xīn里lǐ却què很hěn得dé意yì。

回huí到dào家jiā,他tā对duì儿ér子zi说shuō:“今jīn天tiān可kě把bǎ我wǒ累lèi坏huài了le,不bú过guò我wǒ帮bāng禾hé苗miáo长zhǎng高gāo了le!”儿ér子zi听tīng了le,觉jué得de奇qí怪guài,赶gǎn紧jǐn跑pǎo到dào田tián里lǐ去qù看kàn。可kě是shì田tián里lǐ的de禾hé苗miáo全quán都dōu枯kū死sǐ了le。

“揠yà苗miáo助zhù长zhǎng”就jiù是shì从cóng这zhè个gè故gù事shì来lái的de。它tā告gào诉sù我wǒ们men:做zuò事shì要yào按àn照zhào规guī律lǜ来lái,不bù能néng太tài着zháo急jí,否fǒu则zé不bú但dàn没méi有yǒu帮bāng助zhù,还hái会huì把bǎ事shì情qíng弄nòng坏huài。

Long ago in the state of Song, there was a farmer who planted a field of rice seedlings. Every day he went out to look, but the little plants grew so slowly that he became very impatient.

One day he thought of a “clever idea.” He went into the field and pulled each seedling upward, just a little, so they all looked taller. He worked from morning until night, aching all over, but feeling very pleased with himself.

Back home, he told his son, “I'm exhausted today — but I helped the seedlings grow!” The son thought this was strange and hurried out to check. Every single seedling in the field had withered and died.

From this story comes “pulling up seedlings to help them grow.” It reminds us that rushing against nature does not help — it only ruins what you were trying to save.