Shàng shān diào bù zháo yú; xià shuǐ dǎ bù zháo chái.

上山釣不著魚, 下水打不著柴。

Lit It's impossible to catch fish in the mountains or to gather firewood in the river.

Fig One must do things appropriate to the surrounding conditions.

Note [Note the chengyu: yuán mù qiú yú, (lit) “climbing a tree to catch fish”; (fig) “a fruitless approach.”]

Topics APPROPRIATENESS chengyu CONDITIONS yuánmù-qiúyú