绳锯木断 Rope saws wood
Explanation
比喻只要坚持不懈，即使力量微薄，也能取得成功。
A metaphor that even if the strength is weak, as long as you persevere, you can achieve success.
Origin Story
很久以前，在一个偏远的小山村里，住着一位名叫小明的勤奋木匠。他年纪轻轻，却技艺精湛，村里人对他的手艺赞不绝口。有一天，村长带来一个难题：需要一个精巧的木雕，但是村里没有合适的工具。小明没有灰心，他仔细观察，发现自己可以用绳子代替锯子。他将粗糙的绳子在木头上反复摩擦，日复一日，年复一年，他坚持不懈地磨蹭着。尽管进度缓慢，但他从未放弃。最终，他用绳子将木头锯断，完成了精美的木雕，赢得了全村人的敬佩。这个故事也因此被后人传颂，成为了“绳锯木断”的典故。
Long ago, in a remote mountain village, lived a diligent carpenter named Xiaoming. He was young but skilled, and the villagers praised his craftsmanship. One day, the village head brought a difficult problem: a delicate wood carving was needed, but the village lacked suitable tools. Xiaoming did not give up. He carefully observed and found that he could use a rope as a saw. He repeatedly rubbed the rough rope on the wood, day after day, year after year, and he never gave up, although the progress was slow. Finally, he sawed through the wood with the rope and completed the exquisite wood carving, earning the admiration of the entire village. This story was passed down by later generations and became the anecdote of "rope saws through wood".
Usage
用于比喻只要坚持不懈，即使力量微薄，也能取得成功。
Used to illustrate that even with weak strength, as long as you persevere, you can achieve success.
Examples
-
只要坚持不懈，绳锯木断，水滴石穿，最终一定能够成功。
zhǐyào jiānchí bùxiè, shéng jù mù duàn, shuǐdī shíchuān, zuìzhōng yīdìng nénggòu chénggōng.
As long as you persevere, the rope will saw through the wood and the water will wear away the stone, and you will eventually succeed.
-
学习就像绳锯木断，需要日积月累，持之以恒。
xuéxí jiù xiàng shéng jù mù duàn, xūyào rìjīlěi, chízhīyúhéng
Learning is like sawing wood with a rope, and it requires continuous accumulation and persistence.