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The fish sees the bait but not the hook

Meaning: People are often tempted by apparent benefits while ignoring the hidden dangers.

Origin: Chinese proverb reflecting Taoist caution about appearances and concealed dangers.

Translations

  • French: Le poisson voit l'appât mais pas l'hameçon (literally: The fish sees the bait but not the hook)
  • Spanish: El pez ve el cebo pero no el anzuelo (literally: The fish sees the bait but not the hook)
  • Japanese: 魚は餌を見るが釣り針を見ない (Sakana wa esa wo miru ga tsuribari wo minai) (literally: The fish sees the bait but not the hook)

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