鹬蚌相争, 渔翁得利
Yù bàng xiāng zhēng, yú wēng dé lì

Translation: A grapple between a snipe and a clamp benefits the fisherman.
Meaning: A dispute between two parties may benefit a third party; two dogs strive for one bone, and a third runs away with it.

Story
During the Warring States period (476 BCE— 221 BCE), the State of Zhao was planning an attack against the State of Yan. A famous lobbyist named Su Dai went to King Huiwen of Zhao to dissuade him from taking action. Instead of cutting to the chase, Su Dai told the king a story, which was recorded in the renowned ancient Chinese historical work titled Zhanguo ce (Strategies of the Warring States) compiled between the third and the first centuries BCE.

Su Dai began, “One day, a clamp was bathing in the sun on a beach with its shells open when a snipe landed and stuck its beak into the shells in an attempt to snatch the mussel. Startled and hurt, the clamp promptly closed its shells, gripping the snipe’s beak between them. None would let go of the other. When a fisherman stumbled upon the two creatures locked in a stalemate, he picked them up and took them home for a fat meal.” After he finished, Su Dai said to King Huiwen, “If you launched the attack against the State of Yan, none of you could defeat the other, and you would be mutually weakened in a stalemate. Then, I am afraid, the powerful Qin, acting like the fisherman, would take advantage of the situation and annex both of your states. I really hope that you will reconsider your decision.” Upon the lobbyist’s words, King Huiwen of Zhao withdrew his plan to attack the State of Yan.

This proverb means exactly the same as this English proverb: “Two dogs fight for a bone, and a third runs away with it.”

Vocabulary

Character Pinyin English
鹬 yù snipe (N)
蚌 bàng clamp (N)
相 xiāng each other (Adv/Pre)
争 zhēng to struggle, fight (V)
渔 yú fish (N)
翁 wēng old man (N)
得 dé to get, acquire (V)
利 lì benefit, profit (N)
争斗 zhēngdòu to fight, grapple (V)
渔翁 yúwēng old fishermen (N)
得到 dédào to acquire (V)
利益 lìyì benefit, profit (N)

Example
面对日本侵略者，处于内战中的国共两党认识到，鹬蚌相争，渔翁得利，因此建立了抗日的统一战线。

Facing the Japanese invaders, both the Nationalists and the Communists realized that the continuance of their civil war would only benefit the Japanese. Therefore, they formed an Anti-Japanese United Front.