坐井观天

Zuò Jǐng Guān Tiān

坐在井里看天,以为天只有井口那么大。比喻眼光短浅,见识有限。

Sitting in a well watching the sky — taking one's small view of the world for the whole truth.

zhīxiǎoqīngzhùzàijǐngzhīxiǎoniǎoluòzàijǐngkǒubiānxiǎoniǎoshuō:“fēilebǎiduōdexíngxiàláikǒushuǐ。”

qīngguàidewèn:“cóngérfēiláitiānguòjǐngkǒuzhèmeyòngdezhefēimeyuǎn?”

xiǎoniǎoxiàole:“cuòlatiāndehěnwàngbiānxìntiàochūjǐngláikànkànba。”

qīngxìnháishìzuòzàijǐngtáitóukànxiǎoxiǎodequāntiānjuédeshénmedōumíngbáizhīdàowàimiàndeshìjièxiǎngxiàngdeyàodeduōzhèjiùshìzuòjǐngguāntiān”——zuòzàijǐngtiānkànxiǎole

A little frog lived at the bottom of a well. One day a little bird came to rest at the rim. “I've flown more than a hundred miles,” the bird said. “I'm so thirsty I had to come down for a drink.”

The frog was puzzled. “Where did you come from? The sky is only as big as the mouth of this well — why would you need to fly so far?”

The bird laughed. “You're wrong! The sky is huge, wider than you can see. If you don't believe me, hop out of the well and look for yourself.”

The frog didn't believe it. He stayed in his well, looked up at his tiny circle of sky, and felt he understood everything. He had no idea the world outside was far bigger than he could imagine. That is “sitting in a well, watching the sky” — making the whole sky small because of where you're sitting.