枉费心机 wasted efforts
Explanation
指白费心思，徒劳无功。
means wasted effort, in vain.
Origin Story
从前，有个书生，一心想考取功名，光宗耀祖。他日夜苦读，废寝忘食，准备参加科举考试。他认为只要努力，就一定能成功。为了答好考卷，他四处搜集资料，查阅古籍，甚至通宵达旦地思考，希望能写出独到的见解。他绞尽脑汁，写出了许多文章，却始终无法达到理想的效果。他觉得非常沮丧，但又舍不得放弃，继续努力。他每天都花大量的时间和精力，希望能有所突破。可是一次又一次的失败，让他感到越来越绝望。最终，他还是落榜了。他所有的努力都白费了，他为此付出了巨大的代价，不仅耗费了大量的时间和精力，还失去了信心和希望。这次考试的失败，让他明白，光靠努力是不够的，还要有方法和技巧。
Once upon a time, there was a scholar who wanted to achieve fame and honor, to glorify his ancestors. He studied day and night, neglecting sleep and food, preparing for the imperial examination. He believed that as long as he worked hard, he would succeed. To answer the exam paper well, he collected information everywhere, consulted ancient books, and even thought through the night, hoping to write unique insights. He racked his brains, writing many articles, but still couldn't achieve the desired effect. He felt very frustrated, but he was unwilling to give up and continued to work hard. He spent a lot of time and energy every day, hoping to make a breakthrough. But repeated failures made him feel more and more desperate. In the end, he still failed the examination. All his efforts were in vain. He paid a huge price for this, not only wasting a lot of time and energy, but also losing confidence and hope. The failure of this exam taught him that hard work alone is not enough, he also needs methods and skills.
Usage
常用来形容努力却没有结果，白费力气。
often used to describe efforts that yielded no results and were in vain.
Examples
-
他为了得到这个机会，真是枉费心机。
tā wèi le dé dào zhège jīhuì, zhēnshi wǎng fèi xīn jī
He wasted his efforts trying to get this opportunity.
-
我为这件事费尽心思，结果却枉费心机，真是令人沮丧。
wǒ wèi zhè jiàn shì fèi jìn xīnsi, jiéguǒ què wǎng fèi xīn jī, zhēnshi lìng rén jǔsàng
I put a lot of effort into this, only to have it all go to waste, which is very depressing.