守shǒu株zhū待dài兔tù

很hěn久jiǔ以yǐ前qián，宋Sòng国guó有yǒu一yī个gè农nóng民mín。

Long ago, in the state of Song, there was a farmer.

他tā每měi天tiān都dōu在zài地dì里lǐ干gàn活huó，从cóng早zǎo上shang一yī直zhí干gàn到dào晚wǎn上shang。

Every day he worked in his field, from morning until night.

他tā的de地dì里lǐ有yǒu一yī个gè树shù桩zhuāng。

In his field there was a tree stump.

有yǒu一yī天tiān，一yī只zhī兔tù子zi从cóng草cǎo里lǐ跑pǎo了le出chū来lai。

One day, a hare came running out of the grass.

它tā跑pǎo得de太tài快kuài了le，没méi有yǒu看kàn见jiàn前qián面miàn的de树shù桩zhuāng，就jiù撞zhuàng了le上shàng去qu。

It was running so fast that it didn't see the stump ahead, and it crashed right into it.

农nóng民mín跑pǎo过guò去qu一yī看kàn，兔tù子zi已yǐ经jīng死sǐ了le。

The farmer ran over to look: the hare was already dead.

他tā非fēi常cháng高gāo兴xìng，把bǎ它tā带dài回huí了le家jiā。

He was overjoyed and took it home.

那nà天tiān晚wǎn上shang，他tā吃chī到dào了le很hěn好hǎo吃chī的de肉ròu。

That evening, he had some delicious meat.

他tā想xiǎng：“这zhè样yàng多duō好hǎo啊a！什shén么me也yě不bù用yòng做zuò，就jiù有yǒu肉ròu吃chī。”

He thought, “How wonderful! I don't have to do a thing, and I get meat to eat.”

从cóng第dì二èr天tiān起qǐ，他tā不bù再zài干gàn活huó了le。

From the next day on, he stopped working.

他tā每měi天tiān坐zuò在zài树shù桩zhuāng旁páng边biān，等děng着zhe兔tù子zi跑pǎo来lái。

Every day he sat next to the stump, waiting for hares to come running.

他tā从cóng早zǎo上shang等děng到dào晚wǎn上shang。

He waited from morning until night.

别bié人ren问wèn他tā：“你nǐ在zài这zhè里lǐ做zuò什shén么me？”

People asked him, “What are you doing here?”

他tā说shuō：“我wǒ在zài等děng兔tù子zi呢ne！”

He said, “I'm waiting for a hare!”

一yī天tiān过guò去qù了le，什shén么me也yě没méi有yǒu来lái。

A day went by. Nothing came.

两liǎng天tiān过guò去qù了le，还hái是shi没méi有yǒu。

Two days went by. Still nothing.

很hěn多duō天tiān过guò去qù了le，他tā一yī只zhī兔tù子zi也yě没méi有yǒu等děng到dào。

Many days went by, and he never got a single hare.

他tā的de地dì里lǐ长zhǎng满mǎn了le草cǎo。

His field became overgrown with weeds.

宋Sòng国guó的de人rén都dōu笑xiào他tā。

Everyone in Song laughed at him.

后hòu来lái，人rén们men用yòng“守shǒu株zhū待dài兔tù”说shuō一yī个gè人rén不bù想xiǎng努nǔ力lì，只zhǐ想xiǎng等děng着zhe好hǎo事shì自zì己jǐ来lái。

Later, people began to use “waiting by the stump for a hare” to describe someone who won't make an effort and just waits for good things to come to them by themselves.