Muông thỏ cung chim

Definition
  1. Idiom (Thành ngữ):
    • "When the clever hares are dead, the hunting dogs are boiled; when the soaring birds are gone, the good bows are stored away": A classical Vietnamese idiom of Chinese origin, meaning that talented individuals are discarded or eliminated by their ruler once they are no longer useful or once the ruler's goals have been achieved. It describes the ingratitude and cruelty of those in power towards their former loyal and capable servants after a period of shared struggle or danger has passed.
Usage Examples
  • Idiom:
    • Lịch sử đầy rẫy những câu chuyện "muông thỏ cung chim", những công thần bị hại khi triều đại đã vững. (History is full of stories of "when the hares are dead the dogs are boiled," where founding ministers are harmed once the dynasty is secure.)
    • Anh ta cảm thấy mình như muông thỏ cung chim sau khi giúp công ty vượt qua khủng hoảng rồi bị sa thải. (He felt like "the dog boiled after the hare's death" after helping the company through the crisis only to be fired.)
Advanced Usage
  • This idiom is primarily used in literary, historical, or formal contexts to comment on political treachery, corporate ingratitude, or the fickle nature of power. It carries a strong sense of tragedy and warning.
Variants and Related Words
  • "Giảo thỏ tẩn, lương cẩu phanh; cao điểu tận, lương cung tàng": The original Classical Chinese proverb from which the Vietnamese idiom is derived, meaning the same.
  • "Được cá quên nơm, được chim bẻ ná": A more common Vietnamese folk idiom with a similar meaning of forgetting the tools or people who helped you achieve success.
Synonyms
  • To discard someone after use: To cast aside a person once their utility has ended.
  • Ingratitude of power: The typical thanklessness exhibited by those in authority.
  • "Kill the goose that lays the golden eggs": An English idiom with a different nuance (destroying a source of profit), but shares the theme of foolishly eliminating a valuable asset.
Related Idioms
  • "Qua cầu rút ván": To burn one's bridges; to remove the means of return or support after achieving one's goal, showing a lack of gratitude.
    • Hắn là kẻ qua cầu rút ván, đừng tin tưởng. (He is the type to "pull up the planks after crossing the bridge," don't trust him.)
  • "Ăn cháo đá bát": To bite the hand that feeds you; to show contempt or harm towards a benefactor.
    • Giúp nó xong, nó lại phản mình, đúng là ăn cháo đá bát. (After helping him, he turned against me, truly "eating the rice and kicking the bowl.")