“Three cobblers with their wits combined can outdo even Zhuge Liang” is a Chinese proverb that emphasizes the collective wisdom of a group over the individual brilliance of one person. In English, it can be translated as:

“Three cobblers, combining their wisdom, can surpass even the wisdom of Zhuge Liang.”

This proverb is often used to illustrate the idea that the sum of the knowledge and ideas from a group of ordinary people can be more valuable than the expertise of a single genius. It’s a reminder of the power of collaboration and the importance of valuing the contributions of everyone, regardless of their background or perceived status. When you want to share this saying with a foreign friend, you might say:

“In China, we have a saying that goes, ‘Three cobblers, combining their wisdom, can surpass even the wisdom of Zhuge Liang.’ It means that when ordinary people work together, their collective intelligence can be greater than that of a famous genius like Zhuge Liang. It’s a way of showing how important teamwork and the sharing of ideas can be.”

Here’s the Chinese-English parallel you can use:

中文：

三个臭皮匠，顶个诸葛亮。

Sān gè chòu pí jiàng, dǐng gè Zhūgě Liáng.

英文：

Three cobblers with their wits combined can outdo even Zhuge Liang.