Three Days Fishing, Two Days Drying Nets

HSK 3 · 295 characters · Chinese Idioms

A young fisherman lacks persistence and learns a lesson. The story explains the idiom and how people use it today.

从前cóng qián，有yǒu一个yī ge年轻nián qīng的de渔夫yú fū。A long time ago, there was a young fisherman.他tā对duì自己zì jǐ说shuō，要yào每天měi tiān出去chū qù打鱼dǎ yú。He told himself that he would go out to fish every day.第一天dì yī tiān，他tā早早zǎo zǎo出海chū hǎi，满怀信心mǎn huái xìn xīn。On the first day, he went out early with great confidence.第二天dì èr tiān，他tā继续jì xù努力nǔ lì，虽然suī rán有点yǒu diǎn累lèi。On the second day, he kept working, even though he was a bit tired.第三天dì sān tiān，风浪fēng làng有些yǒu xiē大dà，但dàn他tā还是hái shi出海chū hǎi了le。On the third day, the waves were rough, but he still went to sea.到dào了le第四天dì sì tiān，他tā觉得jué de太tài累lèi了le，就jiù在zài岸上àn shàng晒网shài wǎng。By the fourth day, he felt too tired and stayed on the shore to dry his nets.第五天dì wǔ tiān，他tā说shuō今天jīn tiān也yě晒晒网shài shài wǎng，明天míng tiān再zài去qù。On the fifth day, he said he would dry the nets again and go tomorrow.这样zhè yàng过了guò le很多hěn duō天tiān，他tā常常cháng cháng三天打鱼sān tiān dǎ yú，两天晒网liǎng tiān shài wǎng。Days went by like this, with him often fishing for three days and drying the nets for two.他的tā de鱼yú越来越少yuè lái yuè shǎo，家里jiā lǐ也yě不够bù gòu吃chī。He caught fewer and fewer fish, and his family did not have enough to eat.邻居lín jū摇头yáo tóu说shuō：你nǐ这样zhè yàng做zuò，怎么zěn me能néng有yǒu好hǎo收成shōu chéng呢ne？The neighbors shook their heads and said, "How can you get a good harvest doing it this way?"后来hòu lái，他tā明白míng bai了le，不bù坚持jiān chí就jiù没有méi yǒu成果chéng guǒ。Later, he realized that without persistence there is no result.他tā开始kāi shǐ按àn计划jì huà每天měi tiān工作gōng zuò，慢慢地màn màn de，鱼yú又yòu多了duō le起来qǐ lai。He started to follow a plan and work every day, and slowly the fish increased again.

这个zhè ge故事gù shì告诉gào sù我们wǒ men，“三天打鱼两天晒网sān tiān dǎ yú liǎng tiān shài wǎng”说的是shuō de shì做事zuò shì不bù坚持jiān chí，This story tells us: "three days fishing, two days drying nets" means not being persistent,时做时停shí zuò shí tíng。stopping and starting.在现代zài xiàn dài，这个zhè ge成语chéng yǔ用来yòng lái形容xíng róng学习xué xí、运动yùn dòng、工作gōng zuò等děng方面fāng miàn的de三分钟热度sān fēn zhōng rè dù。In modern use, the idiom describes short-lived enthusiasm in things like study, exercise, or work.

如果rú guǒ一个人yī gè rén今天jīn tiān很hěn努力nǔ lì，明天míng tiān就jiù偷懒tōu lǎn，进步jìn bù就jiù会huì很hěn慢màn。If someone works hard today but slacks off tomorrow, progress will be very slow.比如bǐ rú，小李xiǎo lǐ学xué英语Yīng yǔ时shí，三天sān tiān背bèi单词dān cí，两天liǎng tiān不bù碰pèng书shū，For example, when Xiao Li studies English, he memorizes words for three days, then avoids books for two,朋友péng you就jiù会huì说shuō：你nǐ别bié再zài“三天打鱼两天晒网sān tiān dǎ yú liǎng tiān shài wǎng”了le，his friends might say: "Stop doing 'three days fishing and two days drying nets',"按àn计划jì huà每天měi tiān学xué一点yī diǎn更gèng好hǎo。it is better to study a little every day with a plan.