一蟹不如一蟹

From Words of Aizi by Su Shi:

艾子行於海上，見一物圓而褊，且多足，問居人曰：「此何物也？」曰：「蝤蛑也。」既又見一物，圓褊多足，問居人曰：「此何物也？」曰：「螃蟹也。」又於後得一物，狀貌皆若前所見而極小，問居人曰：「此何物也？」曰：「彭越也。」艾子喟然嘆曰：「何一蟹不如一蟹也！」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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艾子行于海上，见一物圆而褊，且多足，问居人曰：「此何物也？」曰：「蝤蛑也。」既又见一物，圆褊多足，问居人曰：「此何物也？」曰：「螃蟹也。」又于后得一物，状貌皆若前所见而极小，问居人曰：「此何物也？」曰：「彭越也。」艾子喟然叹曰：「何一蟹不如一蟹也！」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Su Shi, 《艾子雜說》 (Words of Aizi)

Àizǐ xíng yú hǎi shàng, jiàn yī wù yuán ér biǎn, qiě duō zú, wèn jūrén yuē: “Cǐ hé wù yě?” Yuē: “Qiúmóu yě.” Jì yòu jiàn yī wù, yuán biǎn duō zú, wèn jūrén yuē: “Cǐ hé wù yě?” Yuē: “Pángxiè yě.” Yòu yú hòu dé yī wù, zhuàngmào jiē ruò qián suǒ jiàn ér jí xiǎo, wèn jūrén yuē: “Cǐ hé wù yě?” Yuē: “Péngyuè yě.” Àizǐ kuìrán tàn yuē: “Hé yīxièbùrúyīxiè yě!”

Aizi was strolling by the sea. He saw a round and flat creature with many legs. He asked a local person, "What is this?" "It's a swimming crab (Portunidae)," answered that person. Then Aizi saw another creature, also round and flat, with many legs. Aizi then asked, "What is this?" "It's a common crab (Brachyura)." After that Aizi saw another creature again. It looked like those he just saw but was very small. He asked, "What is this?" "It's a sesarmid crab (Sesarmidae)." Aizi then sighed and said, "Why each crab I saw is smaller than the one before?"

一蟹不如一蟹

1. each one is worse than the one before

• 每況愈下／每况愈下 (měikuàngyùxià)