Chinese idiom – 刻舟求剑 kè zhōu qiú jiàn

Here is a translation of the story of “Kè Zhōu Qiú Jiàn” (刻舟求剑) into English:

Once upon a time, a man was crossing a river by boat. He had a precious sword with him, which he cherished dearly. As the boat moved forward, the man suddenly lost his sword into the deep waters of the river. He immediately reached out to grab it, but it was too late.

In a moment of panic, the man looked around and saw a knife nearby. He quickly took the knife and carved a mark on the side of the boat, indicating the spot where his sword had fallen. He turned to his companions and said confidently, “There’s no need to worry. I’ve made a mark on the boat to remember where my sword fell. When we reach the shore, I’ll dive into the water and retrieve it.”

The other passengers on the boat looked at him in amazement and tried to explain that the boat was moving and the water was flowing, so the sword would not be in the same spot by the time they reached the shore. However, the man refused to listen and insisted that his plan would work.

When the boat reached the other side of the river, the man jumped into the water at the marked spot. He searched and searched, but to no avail. His sword was nowhere to be found.

This story teaches us that we should not rely on outdated methods or rigid thinking to solve problems. Circumstances change, and we need to adapt our approach accordingly. Otherwise, we may end up wasting our time and efforts, just like the man who tried to retrieve his sword by carving a mark on a moving boat.