Definition
坐收渔利 is a four-character idiom (chengyu) from an ancient fable: a clam and a snipe fight, allowing a fisherman to catch both without effort. It describes a situation where a third party passively profits from the conflict of two others. You can use it to criticize someone who takes advantage of others' disputes or to describe a strategic position.
id.
to profit from others' conflict without any effort
Examples
- ，坐收渔利。Tāmen liǎng jiā gōngsī jìngzhēng, dìsān fāng què xiǎng zuò shōu yú lì.The two companies are competing, but a third party wants to profit from their conflict.
- 坐收渔利。Nèibù zhēngdòu ràng wàibù qǐyè zuò shōu yú lì.Internal infighting let outside companies profit from the dispute.
- ，坐收渔利，。Liǎng guó jiāozhàn shí, lín guó zuò shōu yú lì, zhàn le hěn dà piányi.When the two countries were at war, a neighboring country profited from their conflict and gained a great advantage.
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