futile effort; chase the impossible
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesidiom
to try to fish the moon out of the water; to make a futile attempt; to chase an impossible dream
formalA chengyu describing any effort that is doomed to fail because the goal is illusory or impossible, like trying to grasp the moon's reflection in water. Equivalent to 【海底捞月】.
Méi没
yǒu有
zhèng正
què确
de的
fāng方
xiàng向
，
nǔ努
lì力
jiù就
xiàng像
shuǐ水
zhōng中
lāo捞
yuè月
yī一
yàng样
tú徒
láo劳
。
Without the right direction, effort is as futile as trying to scoop the moon from the water.
Shì试
tú图
yòng用
zhè这
zhǒng种
fāng方
fǎ法
jiě解
jué决
wèn问
tí题
，
wú无
yì异
yú于
shuǐ水
zhōng中
lāo捞
yuè月
。
Trying to solve the problem with this method is no different from fishing for the moon in the water.
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Zài在
shā沙
mò漠
lǐ里
zhǎo找
shuǐ水
gù固
rán然
kùn困
nan难
，
dàn但
ruò若
bù不
xiān先
què确
dìng定
shuǐ水
yuán源
wèi位
zhì置
，
máng盲
mù目
wā挖
jué掘
bù不
guò过
shì是
shuǐ水
zhōng中
lāo捞
yuè月
。
Finding water in the desert is certainly difficult, but digging blindly without first locating the water source is merely fishing for the moon in the water.