火中取栗 to take chestnuts out of the fire
Explanation
比喻为了别人的利益而冒险出力，结果却什么也没得到。
It means taking risks and putting in effort for the benefit of others, but ending up with nothing.
Origin Story
从前，森林里住着一只聪明的猴子和一只胆小的猫。一天，他们发现农民在火炉边烤栗子，香喷喷的味道馋得他们口水直流。猴子眼珠一转，计上心来，对猫说："猫兄弟，你看那些栗子多诱人，咱们一起去吃吧！"猫有些害怕，因为火炉很烫，但被猴子的花言巧语所迷惑，便答应了。猴子躲在一边，指挥猫伸进火炉里，将烤熟的栗子一个个夹出来。猫冒着被烧伤的危险，费尽九牛二虎之力，终于夹出了许多栗子。然而，这些栗子全都被猴子抢走了，猫不仅没吃到栗子，爪子上还被烫伤了。猫后悔莫及，这才明白自己成了猴子的工具，为别人做了嫁衣裳。
Once upon a time, there lived a clever monkey and a timid cat in the forest. One day, they found a farmer roasting chestnuts by the fire, and the delicious smell made their mouths water. The monkey had an idea and said to the cat, "Brother cat, look at those tempting chestnuts, let's go eat them together!" The cat was a little afraid, because the stove was very hot, but he was persuaded by the monkey's sweet words and agreed. The monkey hid to one side and directed the cat to reach into the stove and take out the roasted chestnuts one by one. The cat, risking being burned, finally managed to grab many chestnuts. However, all the chestnuts were snatched by the monkey. The cat not only did not get any chestnuts but also burned its paws. The cat deeply regretted it and realized that he had been used as a tool by the monkey.
Usage
常用来比喻为他人出力冒风险，却最终一无所获。
Often used to describe putting in effort and taking risks for others, but ultimately getting nothing.
Examples
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不要总是盲目地模仿别人，要学会根据实际情况调整策略，否则只会是火中取栗。
bùyào zǒngshì mángmù de mófǎng biérén, yào xuéhuì gēnjù shíjì qíngkuàng tiáo zhěng cèlüè, fǒuzé zhǐ huì shì huǒ zhōng qǔ lì.
Don't blindly imitate others, learn to adjust your strategy according to the actual situation, otherwise you will only be taking chestnuts out of the fire.
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做人做事不要太冲动，要三思而后行，否则很容易成为别人利用的工具，最终落得个火中取栗的下场。
zuòrén zuòshì bùyào tài chōngdòng, yào sān sī ér hòuxíng, fǒuzé hěn róngyì chéngwéi biérén lìyòng de gōngjù, zuìzhōng luò de gè huǒ zhōng qǔ lì de xiàchǎng
Don't be too impulsive in doing things, think carefully before acting, otherwise it's easy to become a tool used by others, and finally end up with nothing.