有始无终 beginning without end
Explanation
比喻有开头没结尾，做事不能坚持到底。
It means to start something but not finish it.
Origin Story
从前，有个年轻人名叫阿力，他天资聪颖，对各种技艺都充满好奇。他先学习绘画，起初画得栩栩如生，但他很快厌倦了，又开始学习书法，练习了一段时间后，觉得枯燥乏味，便丢下笔墨，转而学习音乐，学习了一段时间后，对音乐也失去了兴趣，又去学习木匠活，如此反复，始终没有一门技艺学有所成。有一天，一位老木匠看见了阿力，感叹道：“你这样有始无终，终将一事无成啊！”阿力羞愧地低下了头，他知道老木匠说的是对的。他静下心来思考自己的人生，明白了坚持的重要性。于是他选择了木匠这一行，从此潜心学习，最终成为了一位技艺精湛的木匠师傅。
Once upon a time, there was a young man named Ali who was gifted and curious about various arts. He began by learning painting, and initially created impressive works. But soon he lost interest and turned to calligraphy. After some time, writing became tedious, and he abandoned it to pursue music. Once again, he lost motivation, and started an apprenticeship as a carpenter. He repeatedly switched occupations without ever truly succeeding in any art. One day, an old carpenter saw Ali and said to him, “With your fickle ways, you will never achieve anything.” Ali felt ashamed and realized the wisdom in the old carpenter’s words. He started reflecting on his life and understood the importance of perseverance. He chose the carpenter's trade, dedicated himself to his craft, and eventually became a master carpenter.
Usage
用于形容做事不能坚持到底，半途而废。
Used to describe doing things without perseverance, giving up halfway.
Examples
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他做事总是三天打鱼两天晒网，有始无终。
ta zuoshi zongshi santian dayu liangtian shai wang, youshi wuzhong
He always does things half-heartedly and never finishes what he starts.
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这个计划有始无终，最终失败了。
zhege jihua youshi wuzhong, zhongjiu shibai le
This project was doomed to fail from the start; it's a typical example of a beginning without an end