竭澤而漁

竭泽而渔
jiézééryú
  1. lit. to drain the pond to get at the fish (idiom)
  2. fig. to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs

CEDICT

排盡池湖的水捕魚。比喻一味榨取，不留餘地。《呂氏春秋．孝行覽．義賞》：「竭澤而漁，豈不獲得，而明年無魚。」《淮南子．本經》：「焚林而田，竭澤而漁。」也作「涸澤而漁」。

重編國語辭典

Homographs

竭澤而漁 jiézé'éryú

Entry Composition

1 竭 jié to exhaust
2 澤 zé
  1. pool
  2. pond
  3. (of metals etc) luster
  4. favor or beneficence
  5. damp
  6. moist
3 而 ér
  1. and
  2. as well as
  3. and so
  4. but (not)
  5. yet (not)
  6. (indicates causal relation)
  7. (indicates change of state)
  8. (indicates contrast)
4 漁 yú
  1. fisherman
  2. to fish

Related entries

殺雞取卵 shājīqǔluǎn
  1. lit. to kill the chicken to get the eggs (idiom)
  2. fig. to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs