混水摸鱼 fish in troubled waters
Explanation
比喻乘乱从中获取私利。
To take advantage of chaos to gain personal benefit.
Origin Story
战国时期,群雄逐鹿,天下大乱。有一位名叫张良的谋士,他深知混水摸鱼之计,便在一次战乱中,利用敌军混乱的时机,巧妙地夺取了敌军的一座粮仓,为己方赢得了战争的主动权。他并没有亲自上阵杀敌,却在乱世中取得了巨大的成功,可谓是混水摸鱼的典范。 然而,混水摸鱼并非长久之计。在另一个故事中,一个贪婪的商人,在一个混乱的集市上趁机哄抬物价,大肆敛财。但他的行为最终被揭露,受到了法律的制裁。这个故事告诉我们,混水摸鱼虽然能一时得利,但终究无法长久,最终会受到应有的惩罚。
During the Warring States period in ancient China, the land was in chaos. A cunning merchant saw his opportunity to profit from the turmoil. He mingled with the crowds in a busy marketplace, taking advantage of the general panic to sell inferior goods at inflated prices. Many buyers, in their haste, did not notice the deception. Yet his success was short-lived. When the truth came to light, the merchant was arrested and punished. This story serves as a cautionary tale about the unsustainable nature of dishonesty and the eventual consequences of ill-gotten gains.
Usage
常用于比喻在混乱的局面中获取利益。
Often used to describe how one gains advantage in a chaotic situation.
Examples
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他在浑水中摸鱼,捞到了不少好处。
tā zài hún shuǐ zhōng mō yú,lāo dào le bù shǎo hǎo chù
He fished in troubled waters and gained a lot of benefits.
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商场如战场,有人混水摸鱼,从中渔利。
shāng chǎng rú zhàn chǎng,yǒu rén hùn shuǐ mō yú,cóng zhōng yú lì
The market is like a battlefield, some people fish in troubled waters and profit from it.