临渊羡鱼，不如退而结网

Traditional form:

臨淵羨魚，不如退而結網

Pinyin (reading):

línyuānxiànyú,bùrútuì'érjiéwǎng

Definitions:

• better to go home and weave a net than to stand by the pond longing for fish (idiom)
• one should take practical steps to achieve one's aim

Characters:

• 临 - to draw near, to approach; to descend
• 渊 - abyss, depth; to surge up, to bubble up
• 羡 - to envy, to covet; to admire, to praise
• 鱼 - fish
• 不 - no, not, un-; negative prefix
• 如 - as, as if, like, such as, supposing
• 退 - to retreat, to step back, to withdraw
• 而 - and, and then, and yet; but
• 结 - knot, tie; to connect, to join
• 网 - net; network

Traditional characters:

• 臨 - to draw near, to approach; to descend
• 淵 - abyss, depth; to surge up, to bubble up
• 羨 - to covet, to envy; to admire, to praise
• 魚 - fish
• 不 - no, not, un-; negative prefix
• 如 - as, as if, like, such as, supposing
• 退 - to retreat, to step back, to withdraw
• 而 - and, and then, and yet; but
• 結 - knot, tie; to connect, to join
• 網 - net; network