坐收渔利

Pronunciation: zuò shōu yú lì Literal meaning: Sit and collect fishing profits

Origin & Usage

The idiom 坐收渔利 (zuò shōu yú lì) originates from a story in the Han dynasty text 《战国策》 (Zhànguó Cè). It tells of a confrontation between a clam (蚌, bàng) and a sandpiper (鹬, yù) by the Yi River. The sandpiper tries to peck at the clam, which then closes its shell, trapping the bird's beak. As they struggle, a fisherman (渔, yú) happens upon them and easily captures both. This story was used by the strategist Su Dai to caution the King of Zhao against attacking the State of Yan, warning that such a conflict would only benefit a third party, like the powerful Qin. The idiom literally means 'sit and collect fishing profits,' and metaphorically, it describes benefiting from others' conflicts without direct involvement.

Examples

English: "By strategically positioning himself, he was able to benefit from the hard work of others."

Chinese: 通过巧妙的布局，他坐收渔利。