螳螂捕蝉
- Literal
- the mantis stalks the cicada
- Figurative
- To chase an immediate gain while blind to the danger lurking right behind you; short-sighted greed that sees only the prey and forgets one may be someone else's prey.
Where does 螳螂捕蝉 come from?
The king of Wu meant to attack the state of Chu and forbade anyone, on pain of death, to object. A young courtier, not daring to argue openly, wandered the garden for three mornings with a slingshot, his clothes soaked with dew, until he caught the king's notice. He then described what he had seen: a cicada sang and sipped dew unaware of the mantis crouched behind it; the mantis was about to seize the cicada, unaware of the bird behind it; and the bird stalked the mantis, unaware of the boy's slingshot below. All three coveted their immediate gain and failed to see the disaster at their backs. The king grasped the lesson and called off the war.
Source (出处): 《说苑·正谏》
How is 螳螂捕蝉 used? Two examples
- 他只想着眼前的利润，螳螂捕蝉，根本没发现对手已经在背后准备好了。
He thought only of the profit right in front of him, like the mantis after the cicada, never noticing that his rival was already waiting behind him.
- 做生意要看长远，别只顾着螳螂捕蝉，忘了背后的风险。
In business you have to think long-term; don't fixate on the prey in front of you like the mantis and forget the risk creeping up behind.
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