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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There is no smoke without fire.
-
Where there is no fish even a crayfish is a fish.
-
Where it is thin, it breaks.
-
Time for business, an hour for fun.
-
Готовь сани летом, а телегу зимой
Get your sleigh ready in summer and your (horse-drawn) cart in winter.
-
Яблоко от яблони недалеко падает
The apple never falls far from the tree.
-
With a darling, even a hut is a paradise.
-
Лучше синица в руках, чем журавль в небе
A titmouse in hands is better than a crane in the sky.
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