坐享其成 zuò xiǎng qí chéng sit back and enjoy the fruits of other's labor

Explanation

指不劳而获，自己不努力却享受别人努力的成果。

To enjoy the achievements of others without making any effort oneself.

Origin Story

从前，在一个小山村里，住着一位勤劳的农夫老张和他的儿子小明。老张每天辛勤耕作，汗流浃背地劳作，而小明却好吃懒做，总想着不劳而获。有一天，老张收获了丰收的稻谷，金灿灿的稻穗压弯了腰。小明看到满仓的稻谷，心里乐开了花，他心想：‘父亲辛苦了一年，终于有了收获，这都是父亲的功劳，而我什么也没做，却能享受这丰收的果实，真好啊！’于是，小明每天好吃好喝，过着逍遥自在的生活，而老张则继续忙碌着，为来年播种做准备。第二年，老张年纪大了，身体也不如从前了，他的收成比往年少了许多。小明这才意识到，坐享其成的日子不会长久，想要过上好日子，还得靠自己的努力。他开始学习耕种，也体会到了劳动的艰辛和收获的喜悦。从此，小明改过自新，勤奋努力，再也不坐享其成，而是和父亲一起辛勤劳作，共同创造美好的生活。

cóng qián, zài yīgè xiǎo shān cūn lǐ, zhù zhe yī wèi qínláo de nóngfū lǎo zhāng hé tā de érzi xiǎo míng. lǎo zhāng měi tiān xīnqín gēng zuò, hàn liú jiā bèi de láo zuò, ér xiǎo míng què hào chī lǎn zuò, zǒng xiǎng zhe bù láo ér huò. yǒu yī tiān, lǎo zhāng shōuhuò le fēngshōu de dàogǔ, jīn càn càn de dàosuì yā wān le yāo. xiǎo míng kàn dào mǎn cāng de dàogǔ, xīn lǐ lè kāi le huā, tā xīn xiǎng: ‘fùqīn xīnkǔ le yī nián, zhōngyú yǒu le shōuhuò, zhè dōu shì fùqīn de gōngláo, ér wǒ shénme yě méi zuò, què néng xiǎngshòu zhè fēngshōu de guǒshí, zhēn hǎo a! ’ yúshì, xiǎo míng měi tiān hào chī hǎo hē, guò zhe xiāoyáo zìzài de shēnghuó, ér lǎo zhāng zé jìxù mánglù zhe, wèi lái nián bō zhǒng zuò zhǔnbèi. dì èr nián, lǎo zhāng niánjì dà le, shēntǐ yě bù rú cóng qián le, tā de shōuchéng bǐ wǎng nián shǎo le xǔduō. xiǎo míng cái zhīdào, zuò xiǎng qí chéng de rìzi bù huì chángjiǔ, yào xiǎng guò shàng hǎo rìzi, hái děi kào zìjǐ de nǔlì. tā kāishǐ xuéxí gēng zhǒng, yě tǐhuì dàole láodòng de jiānxīn hé shōuhuò de xǐyuè. cóng cǐ, xiǎo míng gǎiguò zìxīn, qínfèn nǔlì, zài yě bù zuò xiǎng qí chéng, ér shì hé fùqīn yīqǐ xīnqín láo zuò, gòngtóng chuàngzào měihǎo de shēnghuó.

Once upon a time, in a small mountain village, there lived a diligent farmer named Lao Zhang and his son Xiaoming. Lao Zhang worked hard in the fields every day, sweating profusely, while Xiaoming was lazy and always wanted to get something for nothing. One day, Lao Zhang had a bountiful harvest of rice, the golden ears of rice bending under their weight. Xiaoming, seeing the full granary, was overjoyed. He thought to himself, 'My father worked hard for a year and finally reaped a harvest. It's all thanks to his hard work, and I didn't do anything but I can enjoy the fruits of his labor.' So Xiaoming ate and drank well every day, living a carefree life, while Lao Zhang continued to work hard, preparing for the next year's planting. The next year, Lao Zhang was older and his body wasn't as strong as it used to be; his harvest was much less than in previous years. Only then did Xiaoming realize that the days of enjoying the fruits of others' labor would not last forever, and that to live a good life, one had to work hard. He began to learn to farm and came to appreciate the hardships of labor and the joy of harvest. From then on, Xiaoming changed his ways, worked hard, and no longer sat back and enjoyed the achievements of others. Instead, he toiled side by side with his father, creating a good life together.

Usage

主要用于批评那些不劳而获，依赖他人成果的人。

zhǔyào yòng yú pīpíng nàxiē bù láo ér huò, yīlài tārén chéngguǒ de rén

Mainly used to criticize those who obtain without labor, relying on the achievements of others.

Examples

• 他总是坐享其成，不愿付出努力。

  tā zǒng shì zuò xiǎng qí chéng, bù yuàn fùchū nǔlì

  He always sits back and enjoys the fruits of others' labor.

• 不要只想坐享其成，要靠自己的努力取得成功。

  bù yào zhǐ xiǎng zuò xiǎng qí chéng, yào kào zìjǐ de nǔlì qǔdé chénggōng

  Don't just sit back and enjoy the success of others, you must work hard to achieve your own success

Related Idioms

• 不劳而获

• 坐收渔利

Opposite Idioms

• 自食其力

• 艰苦奋斗