弱肉强食 ruò ròu qiáng shí The strong prey on the weak

Explanation

弱肉强食，原指动物界中弱小的动物被强大的动物吞食，比喻弱者被强者吞并或欺压。在自然界中，弱肉强食是一种普遍的生存法则，强者为了生存，会掠夺弱者的食物和资源。

The phrase "the strong prey on the weak" originally referred to the animal kingdom, where weaker animals are preyed upon by stronger ones. It is a metaphor for the oppression and exploitation of the weak by the strong. In nature, the law of the jungle is a ubiquitous survival rule, with the strong preying on the food and resources of the weak in order to survive.

Origin Story

在一片广袤的森林中，住着各种各样的动物。这里有凶猛的狮子，也有温顺的鹿，还有狡猾的狐狸。森林中的动物们遵循着大自然的规律，弱肉强食，强者生存，弱者淘汰。 有一天，一只年迈的母鹿独自在森林中觅食。她已经没有以前那么敏捷了，也无法像年轻的鹿那样快速奔跑。她艰难地寻找着食物，却始终没有找到。 这时，一只饥饿的狼发现了她，它眼中闪着凶光，口水滴答地流了下来。母鹿无力抵抗，只能眼睁睁地看着狼扑向自己。 在母鹿即将被狼吞噬的瞬间，一只强壮的雄鹿突然冲了出来，它用坚硬的角顶开了狼，救下了母鹿。 雄鹿告诉母鹿：“在森林里，弱肉强食是自然规律，但我们也要学会团结互助，才能更好地生存下去。” 母鹿感激地说：“谢谢你救了我，我会记住你的教诲。” 从此以后，雄鹿和母鹿成了好朋友，他们互相帮助，共同抵御着森林中的危险。

zài yī piàn guǎng mào de sēn lín zhōng, zhù zhe gè zhǒng gè yàng de dòng wù. zhè li yǒu xiōng měng de shī zi, yě yǒu wēn shùn de lù, hái yǒu jiǎo huá de hú li. sēn lín zhōng de dòng wù men zūn xún zhe dà zì rán de guī lǜ, ruò ròu qiáng shí, qiáng zhě shēngcún, ruò zhě tóu tài. yǒu yī tiān, yī zhī nián mài de mǔ lù dú zì zài sēn lín zhōng mì shí. tā yǐ jīng méi yǒu yǐ qián nà me mǐn jié le, yě wú fǎ xiàng nián qīng de lù nà yàng kuài sù bēn pǎo. tā jiān nán de xún zhǎo zhe shí wù, què shǐ zhōng méi yǒu zhǎo dào. zhè shí, yī zhī jī è de láng fā xiàn le tā, tā yǎn zhōng shǎn zhe xiōng guāng, kǒu shuǐ dī dā de liú le xià lái. mǔ lù wú lì dǐ kàng, zhǐ néng yǎn zhēng zhēng de kàn zhe láng pū xiàng zì jǐ. zài mǔ lù jí jiāng bèi láng tūn shì de shùn jiān, yī zhī qiáng zhuàng de xióng lù tū rán chōng le chū lái, tā yòng jiān yìng de jiǎo dǐng kāi le láng, jiù le xià mǔ lù. xióng lù gào sù mǔ lù: “zài sēn lín lǐ, ruò ròu qiáng shí shì zì rán guī lǜ, dàn wǒ men yě yào xué huì tuán jié hù zhù, cái néng gèng hǎo de shēngcún xià qù.” mǔ lù gǎn jī de shuō: “xiè xie nǐ jiù le wǒ, wǒ huì jì zhù nǐ de jiào huì.” cóng cǐ yǐ hòu, xióng lù hé mǔ lù chéng le hǎo péng you, tā men hù xiāng bāng zhù, gòng tóng dǐ yù zhe sēn lín zhōng de wēi xiǎn.

In a vast forest, there lived all kinds of animals. There were ferocious lions, gentle deer, and cunning foxes. The animals in the forest followed the laws of nature, the law of the jungle, where the strong survive and the weak are eliminated. One day, an old doe was foraging alone in the forest. She was not as agile as she used to be, and she couldn't run as fast as the young deer. She struggled to find food, but she couldn't find any. At this time, a hungry wolf found her. His eyes flashed with ferocity, and his saliva dripped. The doe was powerless to resist and could only watch helplessly as the wolf pounced on her. At the moment when the doe was about to be devoured by the wolf, a strong stag suddenly charged out. He used his hard antlers to push the wolf away and saved the doe. The stag told the doe: "In the forest, the law of the jungle is the natural law, but we must also learn to unite and help each other, so that we can survive better." The doe said gratefully: "Thank you for saving me, I will remember your teachings." From that day on, the stag and the doe became good friends. They helped each other and together resisted the dangers of the forest.

Usage

弱肉强食这个成语一般用于描述动物界中弱者被强者吞食的现象，或者比喻人类社会中强者对弱者的欺压和剥削。它也常常被用来解释社会竞争的残酷性，以及自然界中适者生存的规律。

ruò ròu qiáng shí zhè ge chéng yǔ yī bàn yòng yú miáo shuò dòng wù jiè zhōng ruò zhě bèi qiáng zhě tūn shí de xiàn xiàng, huò zhě bǐ yù rén lèi shè huì zhōng qiáng zhě duì ruò zhě de qī yā hé bō xuē. tā yě cháng cháng bèi yòng lái jiě shì shè huì jìng zhēng de cán kù xìng, yǐ jí zì rán jiè zhōng shì zhě shēngcún de guī lǜ.

The idiom "the strong prey on the weak" is generally used to describe the phenomenon of the weak being preyed upon by the strong in the animal kingdom, or to metaphorically describe the oppression and exploitation of the weak by the strong in human society. It is also often used to explain the ruthlessness of social competition and the laws of survival of the fittest in nature.

Examples

• 在残酷的自然界中，弱肉强食是普遍的现象。

  zài cán kù de zì rán jiè zhōng, ruò ròu qiáng shí shì pǔ biàn de xiàn xiàng.

  In the cruel natural world, the law of the jungle is a common phenomenon.

• 市场竞争就像弱肉强食的丛林法则，只有强者才能生存下来。

  shì chǎng jìng zhēng jiù xiàng ruò ròu qiáng shí de cóng lín fǎ zé, zhǐ yǒu qiáng zhě cái néng shēngcún xià lái.

  Market competition is like the law of the jungle, only the strong can survive.

• 对于那些弱小的人来说，弱肉强食的现实让他们感到无力和绝望。

  duì yú nà xiē ruò xiǎo de rén lái shuō, ruò ròu qiáng shí de xiàn shí ràng tā men gǎn dào wú lì hé jué wàng.

  For the weak, the reality of the law of the jungle makes them feel powerless and desperate.

Related Idioms

• 以强凌弱

• 仗势欺人

• 丛林法则

• 适者生存

Opposite Idioms

• 和平共处

• 互相帮助

• 弱者保护