За двумя зайцами погонишься – ни одного не поймаешь
With accent marks:
За двумя́ за́йцами пого́нишься – ни одного́ не пойма́ешь.
Translation:
If you are chasing two hares at once, you won’t catch a single one.
Meaning:
This Russian proverb addresses the problems of multitasking: doing several things at the same time will not give you good results.
The expression dates back to primitive times when hunters were stubbornly chasing just one hare until he was completely exhausted. If you chase two hares at once, giving a respite to one or the other, then soon you will be exhausted yourself and the hares will safely flee.
A close English equivalent of this proverb, although with an opposite meaning, is "to kill two birds with one stone".
Other Russian proverbs
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Your own shirt is closer to your body.
-
Beast runs towards the hunter.
-
Don’t wave your fists after the fight.
-
Who is talking about what, and a lousy one about the bath.
-
Жизнь прожить – не поле перейти
To live a life is not the same (not as easy) as to go through a field.
-
В чужом глазу соринку видим, а в своём бревна не замечаем
Оne sees the mote in another's eye and ignores the log in his own.
-
Чем дальше в лес, тем больше дров
The further into the forest, the more firewood is there.
-
What you will sow, that you will reap.
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