力所不及 lì suǒ bù jí Beyond one's power

Explanation

指力量达不到，不能胜任。

Means that the strength is not enough to do something.

Origin Story

话说唐朝时期，有一位名叫李白的诗仙，他文采风流，诗词歌赋无人能及。然而，有一次，他游历到一个偏远的山村，村里的人们饱受旱灾的困扰，田地干裂，庄稼枯萎。李白看着村民们愁眉苦脸的样子，心里十分着急。他很想帮助村民们渡过难关，但是他发现自己力所不及。他只是一个诗人，不懂得如何治理水利，更没有能力改变天象，带来雨水。于是，他只能写下了一首诗，表达自己对村民们的同情和惋惜，希望能引起朝廷的重视，帮助他们解决困境。诗中写道：‘长旱无雨天，民心苦不堪。诗人无能为力，唯有泪沾襟。’

huà shuō táng cháo shí qī, yǒu yī wèi míng jiào lǐ bái de shī xiān, tā wén cǎi fēng liú, shī cí gē fù wú rén néng jí. rán ér, yǒu yī cì, tā yóu lì dào yīgè piānyuǎn de shān cūn, cūn lǐ de rénmen bǎo shòu hàn zāi de kùnrǎo, tián dì gānlìe, zhuāng jià kū wěi. lǐ bái kànzhe cūn mínmen chóuméi kǔ liǎn de yàngzi, xīn lǐ shí fēn zhāojí. tā hěn xiǎng bāngzhù cūn mínmen dù guò nánguān, dànshì tā fāxiàn zìjǐ lì suǒ bù jí. tā zhǐ shì yīgè shī rén, bù dǒngde rúhé zhìlǐ shuǐ lì, gèng méiyǒu nénglì gǎibiàn tiān xiàng, dài lái yǔshuǐ. yúshì, tā zhǐ néng xiě xià le yī shǒu shī, biǎodá zìjǐ duì cūn mínmen de tóngqíng hé wánxī, xīwàng néng yǐnqǐ cháotíng de zhòngshì, bāngzhù tāmen jiějué kùnjìng. shī zhōng xiě dào: ‘cháng hàn wú yǔ tiān, mín xīn kǔ bù kān. shī rén wú néng wéi lì, wéiyǒu lèi zhān jīn.’

During the Tang Dynasty, there was a famous poet named Li Bai, whose talent and style were unmatched. Once, he traveled to a remote village where people were suffering from a severe drought. The fields were cracked and dry, the crops withered. Li Bai saw the villagers' worried faces and was very concerned. He wanted to help them get through the difficulties, but he found his efforts were in vain. He was just a poet who did not know how to manage water conservancy or had the ability to change the weather and bring rain. So, he could only write a poem to express his sympathy and regret, hoping to attract the attention of the court and help them solve the predicament. The poem reads: 'Long drought without rain, people's hearts are bitter. Poets can do nothing, only tears stain their collars.'

Usage

常用来形容做某事能力不够。

cháng yòng lái xíngróng zuò mǒushì nénglì bù gòu

Often used to describe that one is not capable enough to do something.

Examples

• 这件事力所不及，我们只能尽力而为了。

  zhè jiàn shì lì suǒ bù jí, wǒmen zhǐ néng jǐn lì ér wèi le

  This task is beyond my ability; we can only do our best.

• 面对如此巨大的困难，我感到力所不及。

  miàn duì rú cǐ jù dà de kùnnan, wǒ gǎndào lì suǒ bù jí

  Faced with such great difficulties, I feel powerless.

Related Idioms

• 力不从心

• 力不能支

• 鞭长莫及

Opposite Idioms

• 得心应手

• 轻而易举

• 游刃有余