半途而废 give up halfway
Explanation
形容做事不能坚持到底，中途停止，有始无终。
Describes someone who does not complete a task and gives up halfway through, without completing it.
Origin Story
传说，春秋战国时期，有位名叫乐羊子的书生，立志要远赴他乡求学。当他离开家门，来到老师家门口的时候，突然捡到了一块金子。乐羊子非常高兴，立刻把金子拿回家，准备让妻子帮忙保管起来。他的妻子看到金子，并没有表现出兴奋的样子，而是冷静地说：“你不应该贪图这种不义之财，应该把它还给失主。如果你这样做了，将来学习一定会顺利。”听了妻子的话，乐羊子深以为然，便马上把金子送回了失主。乐羊子又一次踏上了求学的道路，这一次，他更加坚定，发誓要学有所成。然而，一年之后，他便感到厌倦了，开始思念家乡和亲人。这时，他的妻子为了鼓励他，就用剪刀把织布机上的绸子剪断了。乐羊子不解地问：“你为什么要剪断这匹绸子呢？”妻子回答说：“这匹绸子是我花了很长时间才织出来的，如果中途就剪断了，之前的努力就都白费了。你学习也是一样的，如果半途而废，之前所学的一切都会化为乌有。”乐羊子的妻子还举了造房子的例子，她说：“如果盖房子的时候，到了半途就不再继续了，那么前面所做的一切都是白费力气。你求学也是这样，如果半途而废，之前所学的一切都是白费力气。你求学也是这样，如果半途而废，就等于前功尽弃。”乐羊子被妻子的话深深地打动了，于是他更加努力地学习。经过七年的刻苦学习，他终于学有所成，成为了一代名士。
It is said that during the Warring States period in ancient China, there was a scholar named Le Yangzi who decided to travel far away to study. When he left home and arrived at the doorstep of his teacher, he suddenly found a piece of gold. Le Yangzi was very happy and immediately took the gold home, preparing to have his wife help him keep it. However, his wife was not excited and said calmly: “You should not covet this unjust wealth, but return it to its rightful owner. If you do this, your studies will surely go well in the future.
Usage
形容做事不能坚持到底，中途停止，有始无终。
Describes someone who does not complete a task and gives up halfway through, without completing it.
Examples
-
他学习的时候总是半途而废，这样永远学不好.
ta xue xi de shi hou zong shi ban tu er fei, zhe yang yong yuan xue bu hao.
He always gives up halfway through his studies, so he will never learn anything.
-
做任何事情都要坚持到底，不能半途而废。
zuo ren he shi qing dou yao jian chi dao di, bu neng ban tu er fei.
You should persevere in everything you do, never give up halfway.
-
他半途而废，导致整个项目功亏一篑。
ta ban tu er fei, dao zhi zheng ge xiang mu gong kui yi kui
He gave up halfway, resulting in the entire project failing.