靠天吃饭 kào tiān chī fàn rely on the weather for food

Explanation

形容完全依靠自然条件而生活，多指农业生产依赖自然条件。

To describe a life that is completely dependent on natural conditions, mostly referring to agricultural production that relies on natural conditions.

Origin Story

很久以前，在一个偏远的山村里，住着一位名叫老张的农民。老张世代务农，家中只有几亩薄田，全靠老天爷赏饭吃。每到春天播种的时候，老张都会虔诚地祈祷，希望风调雨顺，五谷丰登。如果天气好，庄稼长得茂盛，秋天就能获得丰收，一家人就能吃饱穿暖，日子过得红红火火；但如果遇到干旱或者洪涝灾害，庄稼颗粒无收，一家老小就得饿肚子。一年夏天，持续的干旱让老张的庄稼枯萎了，眼看就要颗粒无收了。老张无奈地望着干裂的土地，心中充满了焦虑和不安。他只能默默祈祷，希望老天爷能垂怜，下一场及时雨。终于，老天爷听到了老张的祈祷，一场及时雨从天而降，滋润了干渴的土地。老张的庄稼起死回生，在秋天的收获季节，他喜获丰收。老张一家欢天喜地，庆祝丰收的喜悦。从此，老张更加敬畏自然，也更加珍惜来之不易的收成，他知道，靠天吃饭的日子虽然艰辛，但也充满了希望。

hěn jiǔ yǐqián, zài yīgè piānyuǎn de shāncūn lǐ, zhù zhe yī wèi míng jiào lǎo zhāng de nóngmín. lǎo zhāng shìdài wù nóng, jiā zhōng zhǐ yǒu jǐ mǔ bó tián, quán kào lǎotiānyé shǎng fàn chī. měi dào chūntiān bōzhǒng de shíhòu, lǎo zhāng dōu huì qiánchéng de qídǎo, xīwàng fēngdiào yǔshùn, wǔgǔ fēngdēng. rúguǒ tiānqì hǎo, zhuāngjia zhǎng de màoshèng, qiūtiān jiù néng huòdé fēngshōu, yī jiā lǎoxiǎo jiù néng chī bǎo chuān nuǎn, rìzi guò de hónghóng huǒhuǒ; dàn rúguǒ yùdào gānhàn huòzhě hónglào zāihài, zhuāngjia kē lì wú shōu, yī jiā lǎoxiǎo jiù děi è dùzi. yī nián xiàtiān, chíxù de gānhàn ràng lǎo zhāng de zhuāngjia kūwěi le, yǎnkàn jiù yào kē lì wú shōu le. lǎo zhāng wú nài de wàng zhe gānlìe de tǔdì, xīn zhōng chōngmǎn le jiāolǜ hé bù'ān. tā zhǐ néng mòmò qídǎo, xīwàng lǎotiānyé néng chuílián, xià yī chǎng jíshí yǔ. zhōngyú, lǎotiānyé tīngdàole lǎo zhāng de qídǎo, yī chǎng jíshí yǔ cóng tiān ér jiàng, zīrùn le gānkě de tǔdì. lǎo zhāng de zhuāngjia qǐsǐ huīshēng, zài qiūtiān de shōuhuò jìjié, tā xǐ huò fēngshōu. lǎo zhāng yījiā huāntiānxǐdì, qìngzhù fēngshōu de xǐyuè. cóngcǐ, lǎo zhāng gèngjiā jìngwèi zìrán, yě gèngjiā zhēnxī lái zhī bù yì de shōuchéng, tā zhīdào, kào tiān chī fàn de rìzi suīrán jiānxīn, dàn yě chōngmǎn le xīwàng.

Long ago, in a remote mountain village, lived a farmer named Lao Zhang. Lao Zhang had been a farmer for generations, owning only a few small plots of land, relying entirely on the heavens for his livelihood. Every spring, at planting time, Lao Zhang would devoutly pray for favorable weather and a bountiful harvest. If the weather was good, the crops would thrive, and in the autumn, they could have a plentiful harvest, allowing the family to eat and live comfortably and happily; but if they encountered droughts or floods, there would be no harvest, and the whole family would go hungry. One summer, a persistent drought withered Lao Zhang's crops, and it seemed there would be no harvest. Lao Zhang looked helplessly at the cracked earth, filled with anxiety and unease. He could only silently pray, hoping that the heavens would take pity and send timely rain. Finally, the heavens heard Lao Zhang's prayers, and a timely rain fell from the sky, nourishing the parched land. Lao Zhang's crops were revived, and in the autumn harvest season, he reaped a plentiful harvest. Lao Zhang's family rejoiced and celebrated the joy of the harvest. From then on, Lao Zhang revered nature even more and cherished his hard-earned harvest, knowing that life depended on the heavens, which was difficult but also full of hope.

Usage

多用于形容农业生产对自然条件的依赖。

duō yòng yú xíngróng nóngyè shēngchǎn duì zìrán tiáojiàn de yīlài

Mostly used to describe the dependence of agricultural production on natural conditions.

Examples

• 过去，农民们靠天吃饭，收成全看老天爷的脸色。

  guòqù, nóngmínmen kào tiān chī fàn, shōuchéng quán kàn lǎotiānyé de liǎnsè.

  In the past, farmers relied on the weather for their harvest; their livelihoods were at the mercy of nature.

• 在科技不发达的年代，人们只能靠天吃饭。

  zài kē jì bù fādá de niándài, rénmen zhǐ néng kào tiān chī fàn

  In the era of undeveloped technology, people had no choice but to rely on the weather for their living..

Related Idioms

• 看天吃饭

• 靠山吃山

Opposite Idioms

• 自给自足

• 科技兴农