守株待兔
Chinese
to guard | (a measure word, use with plants); trunk of tree | wait; treat; deal with wait; treat; deal with; need; about; intending to do something; stay; delay |
rabbit | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
trad. (守株待兔) | 守 | 株 | 待 | 兔 | |
simp. #(守株待兔) | 守 | 株 | 待 | 兔 | |
Literally: “to watch a tree stump waiting for a rabbit”. |
Etymology
From a story in Han Feizi:
- 宋人有耕田者,田中有株,兔走觸株,折頸而死。因釋其耒而守株,冀復得兔,兔不可復得,而身為宋國笑。今欲以先王之政,治當世之民,皆守株之類也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: Han Feizi, circa 2nd century BCE, translation from Han Feizi: Basic Writings (2012) by Burton Watson
- Sòng rén yǒu gēngtián zhě, tián zhōng yǒu zhū, tù zǒu chù zhū, zhé jǐng ér sǐ. Yīn shì qí lěi ér shǒu zhū, jì fù dé tù, tù bùkě fù dé, ér shēn wéi Sòng guó xiào. Jīn yù yǐ xiānwáng zhī zhèng, zhì dāngshì zhī mín, jiē shǒu zhū zhī lèi yě. [Pinyin]
- There was a farmer of Song who tilled the land, and in his field was a stump. One day a rabbit, racing across the field, bumped into the stump, broke its neck, and died. Thereupon the farmer laid aside his plow and took up watching the stump, hoping that he will get another rabbit in the same way. But he got no rabbits, and instead becoming the laughing stock of Song. Those who think they can take the ways of the ancient kings and use them to govern the people today all belong in the category of stump-watchers!
宋人有耕田者,田中有株,兔走触株,折颈而死。因释其耒而守株,冀复得兔,兔不可复得,而身为宋国笑。今欲以先王之政,治当世之民,皆守株之类也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
Pronunciation
- Mandarin
- Cantonese (Jyutping): sau2 zyu1 doi6 tou3
- Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): siú-chu-thāi-thò͘
- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin:
- Zhuyin: ㄕㄡˇ ㄓㄨ ㄉㄞˋ ㄊㄨˋ
- Tongyong Pinyin: shǒujhudàitù
- Wade–Giles: shou3-chu1-tai4-tʻu4
- Yale: shǒu-jū-dài-tù
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shooujudaytuh
- Palladius: шоучжудайту (šoučžudajtu)
- Sinological IPA (key): /ʂoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂu⁵⁵ taɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ tʰu⁵¹/
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Jyutping: sau2 zyu1 doi6 tou3
- Yale: sáu jyū doih tou
- Cantonese Pinyin: sau2 dzy1 doi6 tou3
- Guangdong Romanization: seo2 ju1 doi6 tou3
- Sinological IPA (key): /sɐu̯³⁵ t͡syː⁵⁵ tɔːi̯²² tʰou̯³³/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Southern Min
- (Hokkien)
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī: siú-chu-thāi-thò͘
- Tâi-lô: siú-tsu-thāi-thòo
- Phofsit Daibuun: siwzu'taixtox
- IPA (Xiamen): /siu⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡su⁴⁴⁻²² tʰai²²⁻²¹ tʰɔ²¹/
- IPA (Quanzhou): /siu⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ t͡su³³ tʰai⁴¹⁻²² tʰɔ⁴¹/
- IPA (Zhangzhou): /siu⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡su⁴⁴⁻²² tʰai²²⁻²¹ tʰɔ²¹/
- IPA (Taipei): /siu⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡su⁴⁴⁻³³ tʰai³³⁻¹¹ tʰɔ¹¹/
- IPA (Kaohsiung): /siu⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ t͡su⁴⁴⁻³³ tʰai³³⁻²¹ tʰɔ²¹/
- (Hokkien)
- Middle Chinese: syuwX trju dojX thuH
Idiom
(deprecated template usage) 守株待兔
- (figurative) to be conservative; to resist change and innovation
- (figurative) to sit around and wait
- to ambush
Descendants
Sino-Xenic (守株待兔):
- → Japanese: 株を守る (kuizeomamoru)
- → Korean: 수주대토(守株待兎) (sujudaeto)
- → Vietnamese: thủ chu đãi thố (守株待兔)
Categories:
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