杯水车薪 a drop in the ocean
Explanation
比喻力量太小，解决不了问题。
A metaphor for too little power to solve a problem.
Origin Story
很久以前，一个村庄发生了大火，火势凶猛，眼看就要烧毁整个村庄。这时，一位老农提着一桶水赶来救火，他将桶里的水泼向熊熊大火，然而，水却瞬间被蒸发，火势丝毫未减。老农叹了口气，自言自语道：“哎，我的力量太小了，真是杯水车薪啊！” 这个故事发生在一个干旱的季节，村庄里的房屋大多是用木材建造的，因此火势蔓延得非常迅速。村民们纷纷拿起水桶、水瓢等工具来救火，但火势实在太猛了，他们的努力就像往燃烧的柴车里泼一杯水一样，根本无法控制火势的蔓延。 最终，大火烧毁了村庄里的大部分房屋，村民们损失惨重。这个故事也警示我们，面对巨大的困难，如果力量不足，就应该寻求更有效的办法，而不是盲目地付出微薄之力。
Long ago, a village was hit by a huge fire. The flames were ferocious, and it seemed like the whole village was about to be destroyed. At this moment, an old farmer rushed to put out the fire with a bucket of water. He poured the water onto the blazing fire, but the water evaporated instantly, and the fire did not subside at all. The old farmer sighed and muttered to himself, "Alas, my strength is too small, it's really just a drop in the ocean!"
Usage
用以形容力量微薄，不足以解决问题。
Used to describe that the power is weak and insufficient to solve the problem.
Examples
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面对巨大的困难，我们不能只是杯水车薪，而要积极寻求更有效的解决办法。
miàn duì jùdà de kùnnan, wǒmen bùnéng zhǐshì bēishuǐchēxīn, ér yào jījí xúnqiú gèng yǒuxiào de jiějué bànfǎ。
In the face of enormous difficulties, we cannot just be a drop in the ocean, but we must actively seek more effective solutions.
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他的努力虽然值得肯定，但在整个项目面前，仍然只是杯水车薪。
tā de nǔlì suīrán zhídé kěndìng, dàn zài zhěnggè xiàngmù miànqián, réngrán zhǐshì bēishuǐchēxīn。
His efforts, while commendable, are still only a drop in the bucket in the face of the entire project.