諺語 · a single proverb
鷸蚌相爭，漁翁得利
Simplified: 鹬蚌相争，渔翁得利
What does 鷸蚌相爭，漁翁得利 (yù bàng xiāng zhēng yú wēng dé lì) mean?
鷸蚌相爭，漁翁得利 (yù bàng xiāng zhēng yú wēng dé lì) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman profits." In use it means: When two parties are locked in conflict, a third party walks away with the prize. The energy spent fighting each other is energy not spent watching your flank. 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: "the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman profits."
The reading
The snipe grabbed the clam. The clam clamped the snipe. Neither would let go. And while they were busy being right, the fisherman picked up both. Every prolonged argument has a fisherman. The question is not who wins the argument. It is who is watching quietly from the shore while you argue.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Zhanguo Ce 戰國策, Yan ce 燕策
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 Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rat, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 鷸蚌相爭，漁翁得利 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 鷸蚌相爭，漁翁得利 (yù bàng xiāng zhēng yú wēng dé lì) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Zhanguo Ce 戰國策, Yan ce 燕策. 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 鷸蚌相爭，漁翁得利?
In Mandarin it is yù bàng xiāng zhēng yú wēng dé lì. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 鷸蚌相爭，漁翁得利 aloud in Mandarin.