竭泽而渔
竭泽而渔 (jié zé ér yú) literally means “drain the pond to catch fish” and expresses “short-sighted exploitation”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: jie ze er yu, jie ze er yu,竭泽而渔 meaning, 竭泽而渔 in english
Short-sighted exploitation
Pronunciation: jié zé ér yú Literal meaning: Drain the pond to catch fish
Origin & Usage
Before the battle of Chengpu, Duke Wen of Jin asked two advisers how to face a stronger enemy. One recommended deception. The other, Yong Ji, answered that draining (竭) the marsh (泽) to fish (渔) will certainly get you fish, and next year there will be none; burning the woods to hunt will certainly get you game, and next year there will be none. The Lüshi Chunqiu records that the duke used the deception and honoured Yong Ji first. The phrase is now central to Chinese environmental and economic argument.
Examples
English: "If we exploit resources without care, we risk depleting them entirely."
Chinese: 如果我们不加节制地开发资源，就会面临枯竭的风险。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
坐收渔利
zuò shōu yú lì
Benefit from others' conflict
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揭竿而起
jiē gān ér qǐ
Grassroots uprising
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戛然而止
jiá rán ér zhǐ
Come to an abrupt halt
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不胫而走
bù jìng ér zǒu
Spread widely and rapidly on its own
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随遇而安
suí yù ér ān
Contentment in any situation
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三十而立
sān shí ér lì
Establish maturity
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周而复始
zhōu ér fù shǐ
Endless cycle
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背道而驰
bèi dào ér chí
Run directly counter to the aim
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 竭泽而渔 mean in English?
竭泽而渔 (jié zé ér yú) literally translates to “Drain the pond to catch fish” and is used to express “Short-sighted exploitation”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 竭泽而渔 used?
Situation: If we exploit resources without care, we risk depleting them entirely.
What is the pinyin for 竭泽而渔?
The pinyin pronunciation for 竭泽而渔 is “jié zé ér yú”.