During the Warring States Period (zhàn guó 战国), Juang-tz's family was verypoor.

When they had nothing left to eat, Juang-tz went to borrow some money froma local official.

However, the official told Juang-tz that he would not be ableto lend him any money until after he had collected the rent.

Juang-tz was very angry, and he said to the official, "Yesterday I saw acrucian carp in a ditch that had dried up.

He looked as if he was about to die,and asked me to quickly fetch a bucket of water to save his life.

I told himthat I was on my way south, where there is a lot of water, and that I wouldcertainly bring some back for him.

But the carp grew very angry and said,"By the time you've gotten back with that water, I won't be here anymore!

You'll have to go look for me at a dried fish store!

"This idiom is used to mean that a promise of help later is of no use in animmediate crisis.

战国时代，庄子家里很穷，简直就没饭吃了，他就到蓝河侯家里去借钱。

庄子到了蓝河侯，表示要向他借钱，没想到篮河侯说：你要借钱没问题，不过要等我收到租金以后。

”庄子很气忿，就对蓝河侯说：昨天我在路旁的干水沟里看见一条鲫鱼，他说是从东海来的，今天不幸掉在干水沟里，眼看就要干死了，快点儿给扦一桶水救救他。

”我点头说：好，我正要到南方去，那里到处都有水，我一定把西江的水放出来救你。

”不料鲫鱼很气忿地说：等到你把西江的水放出来，那时候我早已不在这儿了，你只能到咸鱼滩儿上找我了。

”枯鱼之肆 【翻译】The desperate struggle of fish.

【用英语说成语:枯鱼之肆（双语）查看网站：[db:时间]】