挖空心思 rack one's brains
Explanation
形容费尽心思，想尽一切办法。
to describe using all one's ingenuity and effort.
Origin Story
话说唐朝时期，有个书生叫李白，他从小就对诗词歌赋情有独钟，立志要成为一位伟大的诗人。然而，科举考试却屡屡受挫，他心中十分焦虑。为了实现自己的梦想，他决定再次参加科举考试。这次，李白挖空心思，潜心研究历代诗词，他遍读诗经楚辞，唐诗宋词，从中汲取灵感和营养。他不但研读诗歌的技巧，还学习历史典故和文化知识。他夜以继日地学习，废寝忘食，常常挑灯夜战，伏案苦读。他仔细琢磨诗词的意境，不断锤炼自己的文笔。李白为了提高诗歌水平，他经常与一些文人墨客交流学习，虚心向他们请教诗词创作的技巧。有时候他为了一个词，一个句子，甚至几个字，都要反复斟酌修改，他常常因为创作的灵感一时难以获得而苦思冥想，最终，李白在科举考试中脱颖而出，一举成名。
In the Tang Dynasty, there was a scholar named Li Bai, who had a passion for poetry and calligraphy since childhood, and aspired to be a great poet. However, he had repeatedly failed the imperial examination, which made him very anxious. To realize his dream, he decided to take the imperial examination again. This time, Li Bai racked his brains and devoted himself to studying the poetry of past dynasties. He widely read the Classic of Poetry and Chu Ci, as well as Tang poetry and Song ci, drawing inspiration and nourishment from them. He not only studied the techniques of poetry, but also learned historical anecdotes and cultural knowledge. He studied day and night, neglecting sleep and food, often burning the midnight oil, studying hard at his desk. He carefully pondered the artistic conception of poetry and constantly honed his writing skills. In order to improve his poetic skills, Li Bai often exchanged learning with some scholars and writers, humbly seeking advice from them on the techniques of poetry creation. Sometimes, he would repeatedly consider and revise a word, a sentence, or even a few words. He would often be lost in thought, struggling to find inspiration for his creation. In the end, Li Bai stood out in the imperial examination and became famous overnight.
Usage
表示费尽心思，想尽一切办法。常用于形容为某事而付出大量努力和思考。
It means to use all one's ingenuity and effort, often used to describe putting a lot of effort and thought into something.
Examples
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为了这次考试，他挖空心思复习，最终取得了优异的成绩。
wèile zhè cì kǎoshì, tā wā kōng xīn sī fùxí, zuìzhōng qǔdéle yōuyì de chéngjī。
He racked his brains to review for the exam and finally achieved excellent results.
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公司面临危机，领导挖空心思寻找解决方案。
gōngsī miànlín wēijī, lǐngdǎo wā kōng xīn sī xúnzhǎo jiějué fāng'àn。
The company is facing a crisis, and the leaders are racking their brains to find solutions.
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艺术家们挖空心思创作出令人惊叹的作品。
yìshùjiā men wā kōng xīn sī chuàngzuò chū lìng rén jīngtàn de zuòpǐn。
Artists rack their brains to create amazing works of art.