Chinese Idiom: 一举两得 (Yi Ju Liang De)
English Translation: Killing Two Birds with One Stone
pīn yīn: yī jǔ liǎng dé
Idiom Meaning: This idiom means that by doing one thing, you can achieve two beneficial outcomes. “举” means action or move; “得” means benefit or gain.
Historical Source: “Records of the Grand Historian · Biography of Zhang Yi.”
Idiom Story: During the Warring States period, the states of Han and Wei were engaged in continuous warfare. One time, their war dragged on for a year without a decisive victory for either side. King Hui of Qin wanted to intervene and profit from their conflict. He sought the opinions of his ministers; some advised him to send troops, while others warned against it, leaving the king undecided. Just then, a persuasive speaker named Chen Zhen arrived from the state of Chu. King Hui asked him, “Han and Wei have been at war for a year now. I want to send troops but can’t make up my mind. Can you give me some advice while you’re here, planning for the King of Chu?”
Chen Zhen modestly replied, “Your Majesty, you have many wise and talented advisors. I don’t have any great strategies. But since you like stories, let me tell you one.” He then recounted the story of Bian Zhuangzi and the tigers.
Once, a brave and chivalrous warrior named Bian Zhuangzi saw two tigers break into a neighbor’s cattle pen and kill a calf. He drew his sword, ready to kill the tigers. However, someone nearby stopped him, saying, “Wait a bit. The tigers are fighting over the calf. They will become more frenzied and start fighting each other. One will surely kill the other, and the victor will be wounded. At that point, you can easily kill the wounded tiger and end up with both.” Bian Zhuangzi agreed. After a while, the tigers indeed began fighting. One was killed, and the other was severely injured. Bian Zhuangzi then killed the injured tiger, achieving the goal of eliminating both tigers with one strike.
After telling this story, Chen Zhen said, “Currently, Han and Wei have been fighting for a year. If they continue, the weaker side will be defeated, and the stronger side will be greatly weakened. At that time, if you send troops to attack the weakened victor, it will be like Bian Zhuangzi killing the tigers.” King Hui agreed with Chen Zhen’s reasoning and decided not to send troops immediately.
From this story, the idiom “killing two birds with one stone” (一举两得) was derived, used to describe achieving two beneficial outcomes with a single action.
