Без труда не вытащишь и рыбку из пруда
Bez truda ne vytashish i rybku iz pruda
Literal translation
"Without effort you can't even pull a fish from a pond"
English equivalent
"No pain, no gain"
What does it mean?
Nothing in life is achieved without hard work and perseverance.
When to use
Use this to motivate someone who is feeling lazy or discouraged by the amount of work required for a goal.
Example in use
Russian
Хочешь выучить русский? Без труда не вытащишь и рыбку из пруда!
Translation
Want to learn Russian? No pain, no gain!
Origin
Rural wisdom
Full history & cultural context
This proverb reflects the agrarian and fishing roots of ancient Russian society. Fishing was not a hobby but a survival skill; it required patience, preparation of gear, and physical effort. It was first documented in early collections of folk sayings in the 17th century as a warning against expecting "manna from heaven" without contributing labor.
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