Chinese Idiom: 守株待兔 (Shou Zhu Dai Tu)
English Translation: Waiting by a tree stump for a rabbit
pīn yīn: shǒu zhū dài tù
Idiom Meaning: This idiom is used to describe someone who rigidly adheres to old methods and fails to adapt, or who hopes to achieve success or gain without effort by relying on a single chance occurrence.
Historical Source: 《韩非子·五蠹》 (The Five Pests of Han Fei Zi) by Han Fei, a prominent philosopher of the Legalist school during the Warring States period.
Idiom Story:
Han Fei was a major advocate for reform and opposed the old ways. In his work 《五蠹》 (The Five Pests), he critiqued various types of people he believed were detrimental to effective governance and societal progress. In this context, he used a story to illustrate the folly of relying on luck rather than diligent effort.
The story goes:
A farmer in the state of Song was working in his field when he saw a rabbit running and accidentally hitting a tree stump, breaking its neck and dying. The farmer, finding the dead rabbit, was delighted and decided to abandon his work, waiting by the tree stump, hoping that more rabbits would come and meet the same fate. Despite his hopes, no more rabbits came, and his field fell into disrepair. Meanwhile, the farmer became the subject of ridicule among the people of Song.
This story illustrates how the farmer’s reliance on chance rather than continued hard work led to his downfall. Consequently, the phrase “守株待兔” (waiting by the tree stump for a rabbit) was used to describe the act of clinging to outdated practices or hoping for success without putting in the necessary effort.
