| 鹬蚌相争，渔翁得利 |
yù bàng xiāng zhēng , yú wēng dé lì |
lit. when the snipe and the clam grapple with each other, the fisherman catches them both (idiom) / fig. when two sides are locked in dispute, it's often a third party that benefits |
| 鹬 |
yù |
common snipe / sandpiper |
| 鹬蚌相争 |
yù bàng xiāng zhēng |
abbr. for 鹬蚌相争，渔翁得利 |
| 蚌 |
Bèng |
abbr. for Bengbu prefecture-level City 蚌埠市, Anhui |
| 蚌 |
bàng |
mussel / clam |
| 相 |
Xiāng |
surname Xiang |
| 相 |
xiāng |
each other / one another / mutually / fret on the neck of a pipa 琵琶 (a fret on the soundboard is called a 品) |
| 相 |
xiàng |
appearance / portrait / picture / government minister / (physics) phase / (literary) to appraise (esp. by scrutinizing physical features) / to read sb's fortune (by physiognomy, palmistry etc) |
| 相争 |
xiāng zhēng |
to vie against one another / to fight each other / mutual aggression |
| 争 |
zhēng |
to strive for / to vie for / to argue or debate / deficient or lacking (dialect) / how or what (literary) |
| 渔 |
yú |
fisherman / to fish |
| 翁 |
Wēng |
surname Weng |
| 翁 |
wēng |
elderly man / father / father-in-law / neck feathers of a bird (old) |
| 得 |
dé |
to obtain / to get / to gain / to catch (a disease) / proper / suitable / proud / contented / to allow / to permit / ready / finished |
| 得 |
de |
structural particle: used after a verb (or adjective as main verb), linking it to following phrase indicating effect, degree, possibility etc |
| 得 |
děi |
to have to / must / ought to / to need to |
| 得利 |
dé lì |
to benefit (from sth) |
| 利 |
Lì |
surname Li |
| 利 |
lì |
sharp / favorable / advantage / benefit / profit / interest / to do good to / to benefit |