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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Не рой яму другому, сам в неё попадешь
Do not dig a hole for another one, you will fall into it yourself.
-
You can't command to the heart.
-
Одна голова хорошо, а две – лучше
One head is good, but two ones are better.
-
Чем дальше в лес, тем больше дров
The further into the forest, the more firewood is there.
-
Кто рано встаёт, тому бог подает
(lit.) Whoever gets up early, God gives him
-
Where there is no fish even a crayfish is a fish.
-
В здоровом теле – здоровый дух
In a healthy body, healthy mind.
-
There are no friends for taste and color.
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