投鼠忌器

Pronunciation: tóu shǔ jì qì Literal meaning: Throw at the rat, but fear for the vessel

Origin & Usage

Jia Yi, arguing that senior officials should not be punished like common criminals, quoted a village proverb: you want to throw something at the rat (投鼠) but you think of the vessel (忌器) it is sitting beside. The Book of Han preserves the argument. The phrase names the specific paralysis of having a clear target that cannot be struck without breaking something valuable next to it, and it is used of hostage situations, of dismissing an executive with client relationships, and of any strike whose collateral is the real constraint.

Examples

English: "In negotiations, he was cautious, knowing that aggressive tactics could backfire."

Chinese: 在谈判中，他小心翼翼，因为知道激进的策略可能会适得其反。