望洋兴叹
- Literal
- to gaze at the ocean and sigh
- Figurative
- To feel small and powerless before something vast and sigh at one's own inadequacy; to realize with dismay that something is beyond one's reach or ability.
Where does 望洋兴叹 come from?
In the "Autumn Floods" chapter of the Zhuangzi, autumn rains swell the Yellow River until its waters spread vast and mighty. He Bo, the Spirit of the River, grows proud, believing all the world's beauty belongs to him. But flowing eastward he reaches the North Sea, and gazing at its boundless ocean he suddenly grasps how tiny he is. Turning to Ruo, the god of the sea, he sighs, admitting that had he not seen such immensity he would have remained a laughingstock to those who know the Way. From this came the image of "gazing at the ocean and sighing" before what overwhelms us.
Source (出处): 《庄子·秋水》
How is 望洋兴叹 used? Two examples
- 这房子太贵了，我们只能望洋兴叹。
This house is far too expensive; all we can do is sigh helplessly at what's beyond our reach.
- 面对这么难的题目，我只能望洋兴叹。
Faced with such a hard problem, I can only sigh at how far it is beyond me.
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