三个和尚没水吃

三个和尚没水吃

Literally means:

three monks live together, they will have no water to use

Actually means:

everybody's business is nobody's business.

A fable story goes like this: there was at first only one monk living in the temple in mountain. He carried water for his own use every day from the bottom of the mountain up to the top. Then another monk joined him, and since neither of them was willing to be taken advantage of, they agreed to carry water together.

一则寓言故事说：山上的寺庙原本只有一个和尚，他自然而然会自己从山下把水挑上山;后来庙里来了另外一个和尚，谁都怕吃亏，不愿意一个人去挑水，只好两个人一道去抬水；再后来又来了第三个和尚，这时由于三个人互相推委谁也不肯吃亏去挑水，结果三个人都没有水喝。

比喻由于自私心理的作怪，人多了会互相推委，谁都不肯出力，弄得事情没人做。强调人多了一定要彼此团结，齐心协力才能把事情做好。具有贬义色彩。