守株待兔 Like Waiting for a Rabbit in Your Lap – Sue Su, translated by Robert Eversmann

守株待兔

很久很久以前,有一个农民,每天都很辛苦地工作。有一天,他正在休息,突然,有一只兔子,一下子撞到了他旁边的树根上,死了。

那一天,他吃了很美味的晚饭。

可是从那以后,他不工作了,每天守在树根旁边,希望有其他的兔子撞死在树根上,这样他就又可以吃到很美味的饭了! 

Like Waiting for a Rabbit in Your Lap

There was once there was a farmer who worked hard everyday. But one day he decided to rest and so sat beneath a tree. Suddenly, a rabbit rushed beside him, tripped and broke its neck. 

That day the farmer feasted. 

The farmer never worked again, but instead remained beneath the tree, wishing it might gift a second rabbit.


note: This story is based on the four-character phrase, 守株待兔 (shǒu zhū dài tù). Four-character phrases, like English idioms, are used in everyday speech. 守株待兔 is used to describe someone who falls into luck for nothing.

Sue Su is a Cambridge CELTA-qualified teacher with fluent English and Mandarin currently teaching Mandarin as a modern foreign language in the British School of Nanjing whilst tutoring English and Chinese privately.

Robert Eversmann works for Deep Overstock. His website is roberteversmann.com.

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