无米之炊 Cooking without rice
Explanation
比喻缺少必要的条件、物资或资源而无法完成某件事情。
It means that something cannot be done because the necessary conditions, resources, or materials are lacking.
Origin Story
从前，在一个小山村里，住着一位心灵手巧的姑娘，她擅长烹饪，村里人都夸赞她的厨艺高超。有一天，村里要举行盛大的节日庆典，姑娘被邀请为村民们准备丰盛的午餐。姑娘欣然答应，精心设计了多个菜肴，准备大展身手。然而，当她兴致勃勃地来到厨房准备开始烹饪时，却发现家里竟然没有米了！这可把她急坏了，巧妇难为无米之炊，没有米，她再怎么巧妙的手艺也无法做出美味的饭菜。无奈之下，姑娘只好向邻居借米，才得以顺利完成了庆典的午餐准备工作，也让村民们度过了一个难忘的节日。
Once upon a time, in a small mountain village, there lived a skillful young woman known for her superb cooking skills. One day, the village was to hold a grand festival celebration, and the young woman was invited to prepare a sumptuous lunch for the villagers. She gladly accepted and carefully designed many dishes, ready to show off her talent. However, when she excitedly arrived in the kitchen to start cooking, she found that there was no rice at home! This made her very anxious, for even the most skilled cook cannot cook without rice; no matter how clever her skills were, she could not make delicious food without rice. With no choice, she had to borrow rice from her neighbors, and was able to successfully complete the preparation of lunch for the celebration, and let the villagers have an unforgettable festival.
Usage
用于比喻缺乏必要的条件而无法做事。
It is used to illustrate that something cannot be done without the necessary conditions.
Examples
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巧妇难为无米之炊，再好的厨师也做不出没食材的菜。
qiǎofù nánwéi wú mǐ zhī chuī, zài hǎo de chúshī yě zuò bù chū méi shícái de cài.
Even the most skilled cook cannot cook without rice.
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他空有雄心壮志，却缺少必要的条件，真是无米之炊啊！
tā kōng yǒu xióngxīn zhuàngzhì, què quēsuǒ bìyào de tiáojiàn, zhēnshi wú mǐ zhī chuī a！
He has great ambitions, but lacks the necessary conditions. It's simply impossible!