諺語 · a single proverb
竭澤而漁
Simplified: 竭泽而渔
What does 竭澤而漁 (jié zé ér yú) mean?
竭澤而漁 (jié zé ér yú) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "drain the pond to catch fish." In use it means: Destroying the source to get a short-term gain. Win today, lose everything tomorrow. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Water note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rat.
Literally: "drain the pond to catch fish."
The reading
You drain the lake. You catch every fish. You eat well tonight. Tomorrow the lake is mud and the fish are gone and you are standing in a dry hole with a net. The person who takes everything from a source kills the source. Sustainable means leaving enough water for the fish to breed.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Lü Buwei 呂不韋, 呂氏春秋 (Warring States period)
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Wealth, Work & Diligence, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rat, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 竭澤而漁 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 竭澤而漁 (jié zé ér yú) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Lü Buwei 呂不韋, 呂氏春秋 (Warring States period). It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 竭澤而漁?
In Mandarin it is jié zé ér yú. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 竭澤而漁 aloud in Mandarin.