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Drain in Chinese / Japanese...
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Drain the pond to get all the fish
Kill the goose that lays the golden eggs
jié zé ér yú
In 632 BC, Duke Wen of the Kingdom of Jin was about to lead an army against the forces of the Kingdom of Chu.
The Duke asked one of his advisers, Jiu Fan, how they could win the impending battle, as they were drastically outnumbered.
Jiu Fan said, “All is fair in war,” and suggested a plan of dishonorable tactics (cheating).
The Duke was unsure of this advice, so he asked another adviser, Yong Ji, who replied, “If you catch fish by draining the pond, you can certainly get all the fish. But there will be no fish the following year. You can cheat this one time in battle, but such tactics can only be used once, as the enemy will be wise in future encounters.”
The Duke heard the words of his wiser adviser but cheated to gain victory in the battle. However, he rewarded Yong Ji more than Jiu Fan at the victory celebration, stating that while Jiu Fan's advice gained one victory, the wise words of Yong Ji would last forever.
This Chinese idiom/proverb is still used, over 2600 years later to remind people not to burn bridges, cheat, or dishonor themselves in exchange for a short-term gain while sacrificing the future.
竭澤而漁 is very similar to the meaning of the English phrase, “Kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.”
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Below are some entries from our dictionary that may match your drain search...
| Characters If shown, 2nd row is Simp. Chinese |
Pronunciation Romanization |
Simple Dictionary Definition |
竭澤而漁 竭泽而渔 see styles |
jié zé ér yú jie2 ze2 er2 yu2 chieh tse erh yü |
More info & calligraphy: Drain the pond to get all the fish |
排 see styles |
pái pai2 p`ai pai hai はい |
a row; a line; to set in order; to arrange; to line up; to eliminate; to drain; to push open; platoon; raft; classifier for lines, rows etc (prefix) anti- |
搋 see styles |
chuāi chuai1 ch`uai chuai |
to knead; to rub; to clear a drain with a pump; to conceal something in one's bosom; to carry something under one's coat |
淋 see styles |
lìn lin4 lin rin りん |
to filter; to strain; to drain; gonorrhea; (TCM) strangury (surname, female given name) Rin To drip, sprinkle, soak. |
渠 see styles |
qú qu2 ch`ü chü |
(artificial) stream; canal; drain; ditch (CL:條|条[tiao2]); (literary) big; great; (dialect) he; she; him; her; (old) rim of a carriage wheel; felloe |
溝 沟 see styles |
gōu gou1 kou mizo みぞ |
ditch; gutter; groove; gully; ravine; CL:道[dao4] (1) ditch; drain; gutter; trench; (2) groove; tread; indentation; (3) gap (between people, countries, etc.); gulf; rift; (surname) Mizosaki |
澌 see styles |
sī si1 ssu |
drain dry; to exhaust |
澮 浍 see styles |
kuài kuai4 k`uai kuai |
drain; stream |
瀉 泻 see styles |
xiè xie4 hsieh sha |
to flow out swiftly; to flood; a torrent; diarrhea; laxative To purge, drain. |
甽 see styles |
quǎn quan3 ch`üan chüan |
drain between fields, irrigation |
釂 see styles |
jiào jiao4 chiao |
drain a goblet |
乾す see styles |
hosu ほす |
(transitive verb) (1) to air; to dry; to desiccate; (2) to drain (off); (3) to drink up; (4) to deprive of a role, job, etc. (usu. in the passive) |
伏樋 see styles |
fusedoi ふせどい |
covered drain |
函渠 see styles |
kankyo かんきょ |
drain with an oblong cross-section |
切る see styles |
kiru きる |
(transitive verb) (1) to cut; to cut through; to perform (surgery); (transitive verb) (2) (See 縁を切る) to sever (connections, ties); (transitive verb) (3) to turn off (e.g. the light); (transitive verb) (4) (See 電話を切る) to terminate (e.g. a conversation); to hang up (the phone); to disconnect; (transitive verb) (5) to punch (a ticket); to tear off (a stub); (transitive verb) (6) to open (something sealed); (transitive verb) (7) to start; (transitive verb) (8) to set (a limit); to do (something) in less or within a certain time; to issue (cheques, vouchers, etc.); (transitive verb) (9) (See 値切る) to reduce; to decrease; to discount; (transitive verb) (10) to shake off (water, etc.); to let drip-dry; to let drain; (transitive verb) (11) to cross; to traverse; (transitive verb) (12) to criticize sharply; (transitive verb) (13) to act decisively; to do (something noticeable); to go first; to make (certain facial expressions, in kabuki); (transitive verb) (14) to turn (vehicle, steering wheel, etc.); (transitive verb) (15) to curl (a ball); to bend; to cut; (transitive verb) (16) to shuffle (cards); (transitive verb) (17) {mahj} to discard a tile; (transitive verb) (18) to dismiss; to sack; to let go; to expel; to excommunicate; (transitive verb) (19) to dig (a groove); to cut (a stencil, on a mimeograph); (transitive verb) (20) (See 切り札・1) to trump; (transitive verb) (21) {go} to cut (the connection between two groups); (transitive verb) (22) (also written as 鑽る) to start a fire (with wood-wood friction or by striking a metal against stone); (transitive verb) (23) to draw (a shape) in the air (with a sword, etc.); (suf,v5r) (24) (after the -masu stem of a verb) (See 使い切る) to do completely; to finish doing; (suf,v5r) (25) (after the -masu stem of a verb) (See 疲れ切る) to be completely ...; to be totally ...; to be terribly ...; (suf,v5r) (26) (after the -masu stem of a verb) (See 言い切る・1) to do clearly; to do decisively; to do firmly |
地漏 see styles |
dì lòu di4 lou4 ti lou |
drain; underground drainpipe; floor gutter; 25th of 2nd lunar month |
外流 see styles |
wài liú wai4 liu2 wai liu |
outflow; to flow out; to drain |
外溢 see styles |
wài yì wai4 yi4 wai i |
(of liquid) to spill out; to overflow; (of gas) to leak out; (fig.) to spill over; to spread (to new areas); (fig.) (of wealth etc) to drain; to flow outward (esp. overseas); (fig.) (of talent) to show; to be revealed |
宣洩 宣泄 see styles |
xuān xiè xuan1 xie4 hsüan hsieh |
to drain (by leading off water); to unburden oneself; to divulge; to leak a secret |
干す see styles |
hosu ほす |
(transitive verb) (1) to air; to dry; to desiccate; (2) to drain (off); (3) to drink up; (4) to deprive of a role, job, etc. (usu. in the passive) |
廢水 废水 see styles |
fèi shuǐ fei4 shui3 fei shui |
waste water; drain water; effluent |
抜く see styles |
nuku ぬく |
(transitive verb) (1) to pull out; to draw out; to extract; to unplug; to weed; (transitive verb) (2) to omit; to leave out; to go without; to skip; (suf,v5k) (3) (after the -masu stem of a verb) to do to the end; to do thoroughly; to do completely; to do severely; (transitive verb) (4) to let out (e.g. air from a tyre); to drain (e.g. water from a bath); to empty; (transitive verb) (5) to pick out; to choose; to select; to extract; (transitive verb) (6) to pilfer; to steal; (transitive verb) (7) to remove; to get rid of; to take out; (transitive verb) (8) to pass; to overtake; to outstrip; to get ahead of; (transitive verb) (9) (also written 貫く) to pierce; to break through; to go through; (transitive verb) (10) to cut out (a shape); to create (a pattern) by dying the surrounding area; (transitive verb) (11) to seize; to capture; to reduce; (transitive verb) (12) to scoop (a story); (transitive verb) (13) to take out (an opponent's stones; in go); (Godan verb with "ku" ending) (14) (slang) (vulgar) to masturbate (of a male); to ejaculate (while masturbating); (Godan verb with "ku" ending) (15) (slang) to take (a photo); to record (video) |
捌す see styles |
hakasu はかす |
(transitive verb) (1) to drain away; (2) to sell off; to dispose of |
排水 see styles |
pái shuǐ pai2 shui3 p`ai shui pai shui haisui はいすい |
to drain (n,vs,vt,vi) (1) drainage; draining; pumping out (water); sewerage; (n,vs,vt,vi) (2) displacement |
排污 see styles |
pái wū pai2 wu1 p`ai wu pai wu |
to drain sewage |
排泄 see styles |
pái xiè pai2 xie4 p`ai hsieh pai hsieh haisetsu はいせつ |
to drain (factory waste etc); to excrete (urine, sweat etc) (n,vs,adj-no) excretion |
排洪 see styles |
pái hóng pai2 hong2 p`ai hung pai hung |
to drain flood-water |
排海 see styles |
pái hǎi pai2 hai3 p`ai hai pai hai |
to drain (wastewater) into the sea |
排澇 排涝 see styles |
pái lào pai2 lao4 p`ai lao pai lao |
to drain flooded fields |
排空 see styles |
pái kōng pai2 kong1 p`ai k`ung pai kung |
to drain out; to empty; to discharge (waste gas) into the air; to soar up into the sky |
Click here for more drain results from our dictionary
The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
| Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
| Drain the pond to get all the fish | 竭澤而漁 竭泽而渔 | jié zé ér yú jie2 ze2 er2 yu2 jie ze er yu jiezeeryu | chieh tse erh yü chiehtseerhyü |
|
| In some entries above you will see that characters have different versions above and below a line. In these cases, the characters above the line are Traditional Chinese, while the ones below are Simplified Chinese. | ||||
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