很久以前,在中国有一个农夫,他每天都努力在田里工作。
A long time ago, there was a farmer in China who worked hard in the fields every day.
一天,他正在忙着,突然看到一只兔子从远处飞快地跑来,一不小心撞在田边的大树上,当场撞死了。
One day, while he was busy working, he suddenly saw a rabbit running quickly from a distance, accidentally hitting a big tree by the field and dying on the spot.
农夫大喜,心想:「太好了!不用辛苦工作,就有兔肉吃了!」
The farmer was overjoyed, thinking: 'Great! I don't have to work hard, and I can eat rabbit meat!'
那天晚上,他开心地煮了一锅美味的兔子肉,吃得很满足。
That evening, he happily cooked a pot of delicious rabbit meat and ate with great satisfaction.
第二天,农夫决定不再耕田,便坐在那棵大树旁,等着看会不会再有兔子撞过来。
The next day, the farmer decided not to farm anymore and sat beside that big tree, waiting to see if another rabbit would come crashing into it.
他等了一整天,却什么也没等到。
He waited the whole day, but he didn't get anything.
从那以后,农夫天天什么也不做,只坐在树旁等兔子。
From then on, the farmer did nothing every day, only sitting by the tree waiting for rabbits.
当然,再也没有兔子撞到树上。
Of course, no more rabbits crashed into the tree.
他的田地长满野草,农作物也枯死了。
His fields became overgrown with weeds, and the crops withered away.
现在,人们用成语「守株待兔」来比喻一个人很懒惰,只想不劳而获地再走一次运,却不愿付出努力。
Now, people use the idiom 'waiting by a stump for a rabbit' to describe someone who is very lazy, only wanting to gain without effort by getting lucky again, yet unwilling to work hard.
例如,有个人叫麦克,有一次买乐透中了奖。
For example, there was a person named Maike who once won the lottery.
从此他不再认真工作,每天只买彩券,希望能再中一次大奖。
From then on, he no longer worked seriously, only buying lottery tickets every day, hoping to win a big prize again.
这就是「守株待兔」——靠运气,不肯努力。
This is 'waiting by a stump for a rabbit'—relying on luck, unwilling to work hard.
Hover a word for its pinyin & meaning; click to pin it.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 很久 | hěn jiǔ | A long time |
| 以前 | yǐ qián | before; formerly |
| 在 | zài | to be (located); at; in |
| 中国 | zhōng guó | China |
| 有 | yǒu | to have; there is, there are |
| 一 | yī | one |
| 个 | gè | general measure word |
| 农夫 | nóng fū | peasant; farmer |
| 他 | tā | he; him |
| 每天 | měi tiān | every day |
| 都 | dōu | all; both |
| 努力 | nǔ lì | to work hard; to strive |
| 田 | tián | field; farmland; (surname) Tian |
| 里 | lǐ | inside; interior; within |
| 工作 | gōng zuò | to work; job |
| 一天 | yī tiān | One day |
| 正在 | zhèng zài | in the middle of (an action) |
| 忙 | máng | busy |
| 着 | zhe | (aspect particle) indicating ongoing action |
| 突然 | tū rán | sudden; abrupt; unexpected |
| 看到 | kàn dào | to see |
| 只 | zhī | grain that has begun to ripen |
| 兔子 | tù zi | hare; rabbit |
| 从 | cóng | from |
| 远处 | yuǎn chù | a distant place; far away |
| 飞快 | fēi kuài | very fast; at lightning speed; (coll.) razor-sharp |
| 地 | de | -ly (adverb particle) |
| 跑来 | pǎo lái | To run over; to come running |
| 不 | bù | no; not |
| 小心 | xiǎo xīn | to be careful |
| 撞 | zhuàng | to bump into; to knock against |
| 边 | biān | side; edge |
| 的 | de | possessive particle |
| 大树 | dà shù | Big tree |
| 上 | shàng | up; on |
| 当场 | dāng chǎng | on the spot; at the scene |
| 撞死 | zhuàng sǐ | to knock down and kill (with a car, train etc) |
| 了 | le | (particle indicating completed action or change of state) |
| 大喜 | dà xǐ | exultation |
| 心想 | xīn xiǎng | to think to oneself; to think |
| 太好了 | tài hǎo le | very good |
| 不用 | bù yòng | don't need to |
| 辛苦 | xīn kǔ | arduous; to work hard; exhausting |
| 就 | jiù | then; just; precisely |
| 兔肉 | tù ròu | Rabbit meat |
| 吃 | chī | to eat |
| 那天 | nà tiān | that day; the other day |
| 晚上 | wǎn shang | evening |
| 开心 | kāi xīn | happy; joyful |
| 煮 | zhǔ | to cook; to boil |
| 锅 | guō | pot; wok |
| 美味 | měi wèi | delicious; tasty; a delicacy |
| 兔子肉 | tù zi ròu | Rabbit meat |
| 得 | de | used after a verb to indicate degree |
| 很 | hěn | very |
| 满足 | mǎn zú | to satisfy; to meet needs |
| 第二天 | dì èr tiān | next day; the morrow |
| 决定 | jué dìng | to decide; decision |
| 不再 | bù zài | no longer; not anymore |
| 耕田 | gēng tián | to cultivate soil; to till fields |
| 便 | biàn | convenient; simply; then (as a structural particle) |
| 坐 | zuò | to sit; to take (a bus, etc.) |
| 那 | nà | that; those |
| 棵 | kē | classifier for trees and plants |
| 旁 | páng | side; beside; the lateral component (in a character) |
| 等着 | děng zhe | Waiting; awaiting |
| 看 | kàn | to look; to watch; to see |
| 会 | huì | can; to know how to; meeting |
| 不会 | bù huì | improbable; unlikely; will not (act, happen etc); not able; not having learned to do sth |
| 再 | zài | again |
| 过来 | guò lái | to come over; to approach |
| 等 | děng | to wait; (after a list) and so on, etc. |
| 整天 | zhěng tiān | all day long; the whole day |
| 却 | què | but; yet; however |
| 什么 | shén me | what |
| 也 | yě | also |
| 没 | méi | not; have not |
| 等到 | děng dào | to wait until; until |
| 以后 | yǐ hòu | in the future; later |
| 天天 | tiān tiān | every day |
| 做 | zuò | to do; to make |
| 树 | shù | tree |
| 当然 | dāng rán | of course; certainly |
| 没有 | méi yǒu | don't have; haven't |
| 到 | dào | to arrive; to reach |
| 田地 | tián dì | field; farmland; cropland; plight; extent |
| 长满 | zhǎng mǎn | to grow all over |
| 野草 | yě cǎo | weeds; mistress or prostitute (old) |
| 农作物 | nóng zuò wù | crops; farm produce |
| 枯死 | kū sǐ | To wither and die |
| 现在 | xiàn zài | now |
| 人们 | rén men | people |
| 用 | yòng | to use |
| 成语 | chéng yǔ | idiom; set expression |
| 守株待兔 | shǒu zhū dài tù | lit. to guard a tree-stump, waiting for rabbits (idiom); to wait idly for opportunities |
| 来 | lái | to come; to arrive |
| 比喻 | bǐ yù | to compare figuratively; a metaphor or simile |
| 人 | rén | person; people |
| 懒惰 | lǎn duò | lazy |
| 想 | xiǎng | to think; to want |
| 不劳而获 | bù láo ér huò | (idiom) to reap without sowing; to get sth without working for it; to sponge off others |
| 走 | zǒu | to walk; to go |
| 次 | cì | time (occurrence) |
| 运 | yùn | to transport; to move; (also) luck or fortune |
| 不愿 | bù yuàn | unwilling |
| 付出 | fù chū | to pay; to devote (time, energy, etc.) |
| 例如 | lì rú | for example |
| 叫 | jiào | to call; to be called |
| 麦克 | Mài kè | (name) Mike; Michael; (prefix) Mac-; Mc- |
| 买 | mǎi | to buy |
| 乐透 | lè tòu | (loanword) lotto |
| 中 | zhòng | to hit (a target); to be struck by (a bullet, illness etc); to win (a prize or l |
| 奖 | jiǎng | prize; award; recognition |
| 从此 | cóng cǐ | from then on; thereafter |
| 认真 | rèn zhēn | serious; earnest |
| 彩券 | cǎi quàn | lottery ticket |
| 希望 | xī wàng | to hope; a wish |
| 能 | néng | can; to be able to |
| 大奖 | dà jiǎng | prize; award |
| 这 | zhè | this |
| 就是 | jiù shì | exactly; simply |
| 靠 | kào | to lean on; to rely on |
| 运气 | yùn qi | luck (good or bad) |
| 不肯 | bù kěn | to refuse; unwilling to |