适者生存 shì zhě shēng cún Survival of the fittest

Explanation

指生物在生存竞争中，只有适应环境的才能生存下去。

Refers to the principle in the struggle for survival that only those organisms that are adapted to their environment can survive.

Origin Story

远古时代，地球上生存着各种各样的生物，它们为了生存展开了激烈的竞争。有些生物因为能够适应环境的变化而生存了下来，有些生物因为无法适应环境的变化而灭绝了。例如，恐龙曾经是地球上的霸主，但是由于无法适应环境的变化，最终走向了灭亡。而一些小型哺乳动物则因为能够适应环境的变化而生存了下来，并逐渐进化成了今天我们看到的各种各样的哺乳动物。这个故事告诉我们，只有适应环境才能生存下去，这就是适者生存的道理。

yuǎn gǔ shí dài, dì qiú shàng shēngcún zhe gè zhǒng gè yàng de shēng wù, tāmen wèi le shēngcún zhǎn kāi le jī liè de jìng zhēng. yǒuxiē shēng wù yīn wèi néng gòu shìyìng huánjìng de biànhuà ér shēngcún le xià lái, yǒuxiē shēng wù yīn wèi wúfǎ shìyìng huánjìng de biànhuà ér miè jué le. lì rú, kǒnglóng céngjīng shì dì qiú shàng de bà zhǔ, dànshì yóuyú wúfǎ shìyìng huánjìng de biànhuà, zuìzhōng zǒuxiàng le mièwáng. ér yīxiē xiǎoxíng bǔ rǔ dòngwù zé yīn wèi néng gòu shìyìng huánjìng de biànhuà ér shēngcún le xià lái, bìng zhújiàn jìnhuà chéng le jīntiān wǒmen kàn dào de gè zhǒng gè yàng de bǔ rǔ dòngwù. zhège gùshì gàosù wǒmen, zhǐyǒu shìyìng huánjìng cáinéng shēngcún xià qù, zhè jiùshì shì zhě shēng cún de dàolǐ.

In ancient times, various creatures lived on Earth, and they engaged in fierce competition for survival. Some creatures survived because they were able to adapt to environmental changes, while others became extinct because they could not adapt. For example, dinosaurs were once the rulers of the Earth, but they eventually went extinct because they could not adapt to environmental changes. However, some small mammals survived because they were able to adapt to environmental changes, and they gradually evolved into the various mammals we see today. This story tells us that only those who adapt to the environment can survive, which is the principle of survival of the fittest.

Usage

用作宾语、定语；形容生物适应环境的能力。

yòng zuò bīn yǔ, dìng yǔ; xiāo róng shēng wù shìyìng huánjìng de néng lì

Used as an object and attribute; describes the ability of living things to adapt to their environment.

Examples

• 物竞天择，适者生存，这是自然界的普遍规律。

  wù jìng tiān zé, shì zhě shēng cún, zhè shì zì rán jiè de pǔ biàn guī lǜ

  The survival of the fittest is the universal law of nature.

Related Idioms

• 物竞天择

• 自然选择

Opposite Idioms

• 优胜劣汰