4 Comments
User's avatar
Ronald Chao's avatar

缘木求鱼 刻舟求剑

Expand full comment
Sam's avatar

please explain: Flying trees to seek fish, carved boats to seek swords

Expand full comment
Ronald Chao's avatar

It’s two Chinese idioms meaning the effort is in vain. The second phrase literally meant marking the side of a boat from which a sword dropped into the sea to recover the sword is futile. The act itself will not give you the true location of the incident as the boat is moving all the time. Likewise, the first phrase says climbing up a tree to search for a fish is hopeless.

Expand full comment
Sam's avatar

please explain: Flying trees to seek fish, carved boats to seek swords

Expand full comment