Climbing a tree to seek fish literally means going up a tree to look for fish. This idiom comes from Mencius, King Hui of Liang, Part I, where Mencius advised King Xuan of Qi not to seek hegemony by force, saying that doing so would be like "climbing a tree to seek fish"—not only would it fail to achieve the goal, but it would also bring disaster. It is a metaphor for a completely wrong direction or method that makes success impossible. In its deeper meaning, it emphasizes the logical contradiction between goal and means: fish are in water, trees are on shore; if the direction is wrong, no amount of effort will be anything but futile. It is mostly used to criticize someone for taking the wrong approach or to advise others to adjust their strategy. In terms of cultural background, it reflects the Confucian emphasis on reasonableness and feasibility. Its emotional tone is generally derogatory, often carrying irony or a warning. It should be noted that it differs from "fishing for the moon in water" in that the latter suggests illusion, whereas this idiom emphasizes an error in direction, though both are equally futile.
📝 Example
1. You want to get good grades by cheating—that is simply climbing a tree to seek for fish, and in the end you will only harm yourself. (A metaphor for a wrong direction or method that makes it impossible to achieve one's goal.)
2. Wanting to raise people's living standards without developing the economy is no different from climbing a tree to seek for fish. (A metaphor for a wrong method that makes it impossible to achieve one's goal.)