Chinese Idiom “Guarding the Tree Stump Waiting for Rabbits”
Did you know that “守株待兔” (Shǒuzhūdàitù) is a Chinese phrase that describes someone who just sits around waiting for something to happen without doing anything? Literally, it means “Guarding the Tree Stump waiting for Rabbits,” which means wanting something for nothing. You could also say it means “wait and see,” but that doesn’t really capture the negative vibe of the original phrase in Chinese.
There are a bunch of ways to translate 守株待兔 (Shǒuzhūdàitù) into English. Some of the translations include “resting on your laurels,” “waiting for the gravy train,” “luck of the draw,” or “waiting for good things to drop into one’s lap” (according to Collins dictionary).
The translations in English don’t really convey the meaning of the Chinese phrase 守株待兔 (Shǒuzhūdàitù).
Chinese idioms are actually based on folktales. If you want to understand what a Chinese proverb or 成语(chéng yǔ) really means, you gotta study the story behind it first.
So, let’s take a look at the story behind Guarding the Tree Stump Waiting for Rabbits.
Origins of 守株待兔 (Shǒuzhūdàitù)
During China’s Warring States period, there was a farmer in the Song States who witnessed an unusual event while working in his field. Legend has it that a rabbit came running towards him and, unexpectedly, hit its head against a tree and died.
The farmer brought the rabbit home and had a feast. “How lucky I am,” thought the farmer. “Maybe tomorrow another rabbit will come. That’s an opportunity I can’t miss.”
On the second day, instead of working, the farmer chose to wait under the tree in hopes of catching another rabbit. Unfortunately, no rabbit showed up. On the following day, the farmer continued to wait under the tree, hoping a rabbit would accidentally run into it. However, the farmer waited in vain as no rabbit appeared that day either.
Day after day, the farmer waited for rabbits, but his field became overgrown with weeds and he caught none.
Modern Uses
Since then, people have used the idiom “guarding the tree stump waiting for rabbits” to mock those who wish to get unexpected gains without any effort.
The character “zhū” (株) in “Shǒuzhūdàitù” means “tree stump.” Shǒu (守) means to guard, Dài (待) means to wait, and Tù (兔) means rabbit. So, 守株待兔 (Shǒuzhūdàitù) can be translated as “waiting for rabbits by guarding a tree stump.”
Nowadays, in this hyper-competitive world, people can’t just sit and wait for chances to come their way. We must be proactive and seize them ourselves, just like the saying “guarding the tree stump waiting for rabbits” suggests. Wouldn’t you agree?
Not finished reading? Take a look at A Cat Weeping Over a Dead Mouse to keep learning about Chinese idioms.
