Words & phrases
守株待兔
shǒu zhū dài tù
wait for luck instead of making an effort
偶然
ǒu rán
by chance; accidental
耕田
gēng tián
cultivate a field
Model sentences
守株待兔比喻只等好运而不主动努力。
shǒu zhū dài tù bǐ yù zhǐ děng hǎo yùn ér bù zhǔ dòng nǔ lì。
The idiom describes waiting for luck instead of making an effort.
兔子撞上树桩只是一件偶然的事。
tù zi zhuàng shàng shù zhuāng zhǐ shì yí jiàn ǒu rán de shì。
The rabbit hitting the stump is only an accidental event.
农民每天坐在树桩旁边等兔子。
nóng mín měi tiān zuò zài shù zhuāng páng biān děng tù zi。
The farmer sits beside the stump every day waiting for a rabbit.
他不再认真耕田，庄稼慢慢变差了。
tā bù zài rèn zhēn gēng tián， zhuāng jia màn màn biàn chà le。
He stops cultivating his field carefully, and the crops gradually deteriorate.
没有照顾庄稼，他当然得不到好收获。
méi yǒu zhào gù zhuāng jia， tā dāng rán dé bú dào hǎo shōu huò。
Without tending the crops, he naturally cannot obtain a good harvest.
可靠的成果通常需要持续努力。
kě kào de chéng guǒ tōng cháng xū yào chí xù nǔ lì。
Reliable results usually require continued effort.
成语故事
一个农民每天到田里干活，田边有个树桩。一天，他正在翻土，一只受惊的兔子飞快跑来，一头撞在树桩上，倒下不动了。
yí ge nóng mín měi tiān dào tián lǐ gàn huó， tián biān yǒu gè shù zhuāng。 yì tiān， tā zhèng zài fān tǔ， yì zhī shòu jīng de tù zi fēi kuài pǎo lái， yī tóu zhuàng zài shù zhuāng shàng， dǎo xià bù dòng le。
A farmer worked daily beside a tree stump. One day, a startled rabbit ran into it and fell still as he was tilling the soil.
农民放下工具，捡起兔子，发现自己没有费力追赶，就得到了一顿好饭。他摸摸树桩，又看看田里的庄稼，心里有了一个念头。
nóng mín fàng xià gōng jù， jiǎn qǐ tù zi， fā xiàn zì jǐ méi yǒu fèi lì zhuī gǎn， jiù dé dào le yí dùn hǎo fàn。 tā mō mō shù zhuāng， yòu kàn kan tián lǐ de zhuāng jia， xīn lǐ yǒu le yí ge niàn tou。
He picked up the rabbit, pleased to have a meal without chasing it. Looking from the stump to his crops, he formed an idea.
他想，既然不用辛苦耕田也能有收获，为什么还要天天工作呢？
tā xiǎng， jì rán bù yòng xīn kǔ gēng tián yě néng yǒu shōu huò， wèi shén me hái yào tiān tiān gōng zuò ne？
He thinks that if he can gain something without the effort of farming, why work every day?
从此，他不再照顾田里的庄稼，而是坐在树桩旁边等下一只兔子。
cóng cǐ， tā bù zài zhào gù tián lǐ de zhuāng jia， ér shì zuò zài shù zhuāng páng biān děng xià yì zhī tù zi。
From then on he stops tending his crops and sits beside the stump waiting for another rabbit.
早晨，邻居牵着牛走进田里，看见他仍然坐在那里，就问为什么不去干活。他说：“我正在等兔子，等到了就不用种田了。”邻居指着长出的杂草，劝他先照顾庄稼，可他只盯着树桩，不愿离开。
zǎo chén， lín jū qiān zhe niú zǒu jìn tián lǐ， kàn jiàn tā réng rán zuò zài nà lǐ， jiù wèn wèi shén me bú qù gàn huó。 tā shuō：“wǒ zhèng zài děng tù zi， děng dào le jiù bù yòng zhòng tián le。” lín jū zhǐ zhe zhǎng chū de zá cǎo， quàn tā xiān zhào gù zhuāng jia， kě tā zhǐ dīng zhe shù zhuāng， bù yuàn lí kāi。
One morning a neighbour leading an ox asks why he is still sitting there instead of working. He says he is waiting for a rabbit so he will not need to farm. The neighbour points to the weeds and urges him to care for his crops, but he keeps staring at the stump.
一天又一天过去，兔子没有再来，田里的庄稼却因为无人照顾变差了。
yì tiān yòu yì tiān guò qù， tù zi méi yǒu zài lái， tián lǐ de zhuāng jia què yīn wèi wú rén zhào gù biàn chà le。
Day after day no more rabbits arrive, while the neglected crops deteriorate.
邻居收获的时候，农民的田里只剩下杂草，他望着空空的树桩，才知道自己白白等了这么久。
lín jū shōu huò de shí hou， nóng mín de tián lǐ zhǐ shèng xia zá cǎo， tā wàng zhe kōng kōng de shù zhuāng， cái zhī dào zì jǐ bái bái děng le zhè me jiǔ。
When the neighbour harvests, the farmer’s field holds only weeds; looking at the empty stump, he realises how much time he has wasted.
他终于站起来，拿起放了很久的农具，走回荒了的田地。
tā zhōng yú zhàn qǐ lái， ná qǐ fàng le hěn jiǔ de nóng jù， zǒu huí huāng le de tián dì。
He finally stands up, picks up his long-unused tools and returns to the neglected field.
可是，失去的收成已经不能回来，要重新种好庄稼，还得从翻土和除草开始。
kě shì， shī qù de shōu cheng yǐ jīng bù néng huí lái， yào chóng xīn zhòng hǎo zhuāng jia， hái děi cóng fān tǔ hé chú cǎo kāi shǐ。
But the lost harvest cannot return; he must begin again by turning the soil and removing weeds.
Conversation
A 农民第一次得到兔子，靠的是什么？
nóng mín dì yī cì dé dào tù zi， kào de shì shén me？
What gives the farmer his first rabbit?
B 是偶然的好运，不是他每天的工作。
shì ǒu rán de hǎo yùn， bú shì tā měi tiān de gōng zuò。
Accidental luck, not his daily work.
A 他后来为什么不耕田了？
tā hòu lái wèi shén me bù gēng tián le？
Why does he stop farming afterwards?
B 他以为每天都会有兔子撞上树桩。
tā yǐ wéi měi tiān dōu huì yǒu tù zi zhuàng shàng shù zhuāng。
He thinks a rabbit will hit the stump every day.
A 这个想法有什么证据吗？
zhè ge xiǎng fǎ yǒu shén me zhèng jù ma？
Is there evidence for that idea?
B 只有一次偶然的事情，不能证明每天都会发生。
zhǐ yǒu yí cì ǒu rán de shì qíng， bù néng zhèng míng měi tiān dōu huì fā shēng。
One accidental event cannot prove it will happen daily.
