莫可奈何 mò kě nài hé helpless

Explanation

表示对某种情况无能为力，感到无奈。

It expresses the feeling of being powerless and helpless in a certain situation.

Origin Story

话说唐朝时期，有个秀才一心想考取功名，却屡试不第。一次，他来到京城参加科举考试，怀揣着多年的梦想和准备，信心满满地走进了考场。然而，试卷上的题目对他来说如同天书一般，绞尽脑汁也写不出个所以然。走出考场，他望着高耸的宫墙，心中充满了苦涩和无奈，他知道这次考试又是落榜了。他知道自己很努力，也付出了很多，可是结果依然如此，他感觉自己对这样的结果已经莫可奈何了。回家路上，他看到路边一个乞丐，衣衫褴褛，却在怡然自得地吹着竹笛。秀才心中百感交集，他意识到，或许人生的意义不在于追求功名利禄，而在于享受当下，坦然面对生活中的不如意。于是，他放下包袱，开始重新审视自己的人生，不再为考试失利而莫可奈何，而是寻找新的目标和方向，努力过上自己想要的生活。

huàshuō táng cháo shíqī, yǒu gè xiù cái yīxīn xiǎng kǎoqǔ gōngmíng, què lǚshì bù dì. yīcì, tā lái dào jīngchéng cānjiā kējǔ kǎoshì, huáicuāi zhe duō nián de mèngxiǎng hé zhǔnbèi, xìnxīn mǎnmǎn de zǒu jìnlè kǎochǎng. rán'ér, shìjuǎn shang de tímù duì tā lái shuō rútóng tiānshū yībān, jiǎo jìn nǎozhī yě xiě bù chū gè suǒ yī rán. zǒu chū kǎochǎng, tā wàngzhe gāosǒng de gōngqiáng, xīnzhōng chōngmǎn le kǔsè hé wú nài, tā zhīdào zhè cì kǎoshì yòu shì luò bǎng le. tā zhīdào zìjǐ hěn nǔlì, yě fùchū le hěn duō, kěshì jiéguǒ yīrán rú cǐ, tā gǎnjué zìjǐ duì zhè yàng de jiéguǒ yǐjīng mò kě nài hé le. huí jiā lùshàng, tā kàndào lù biān yīgè qǐgai, yīsān lánlǚ, què zài yí rán zì dé de chuīzhe zhúdí. xiù cái xīnzhōng bǎigǎn jiāojí, tā yìshí dào, huòxǔ rénshēng de yìyì bù zài yú zhuīqiú gōngmíng lìlù, ér zài yú xiǎngshòu dāngxià, tǎnrán miànduì shēnghuó zhōng de bù rúyì. yúshì, tā fàngxià bāofu, kāishǐ chóngxīn shěnshì zìjǐ de rénshēng, bù zài wèi kǎoshì shīlì ér mò kě nài hé, ér shì xúnzhǎo xīn de mùbiāo hé fāngxiàng, nǔlì guò shang zìjǐ xiǎng yào de shēnghuó.

During the Tang Dynasty, a scholar who aspired to become an official failed many times in the imperial examinations. He went to the capital to take the examination, carrying years of dreams and preparation, and confidently entered the exam hall. However, the questions on the test were like a book of riddles to him. He racked his brains but couldn't write anything meaningful. Leaving the exam hall, he looked at the towering palace walls, his heart filled with bitterness and helplessness; he knew he had failed again. He knew he had worked hard and put in a lot of effort, but the results were still the same; he felt he was helpless against it. On the way home, he saw a beggar by the road, raggedly clothed but serenely playing a bamboo flute. The scholar felt conflicted. He realized that perhaps the meaning of life wasn't in pursuing fame and fortune, but in enjoying the present and calmly facing life's disappointments. So he unburdened himself, began re-evaluating his life, no longer feeling helpless about his exam failures, and started searching for new goals and directions, striving to live the life he wanted.

Usage

用于形容对某种情况无能为力，无奈的状态。

yòng yú xíngróng duì mǒu zhǒng qíngkuàng wú néng wéilì, wú nài de zhuàngtài.

Used to describe the state of being powerless and helpless in a certain situation.

Examples

• 面对突如其来的困难，我们只能莫可奈何地接受现实。

  miànduì tū rú qí lái de kùnnán, wǒmen zhǐ néng mò kě nài hé de jiēshòu xiànshí.

  Faced with sudden difficulties, we could only helplessly accept reality.

• 眼看着机会溜走，他却莫可奈何，只能叹息。

  yǎn kànzhe jīhuì liū zǒu, tā què mò kě nài hé, zhǐ néng tàn xī

  Watching the opportunity slip away, he was helpless and could only sigh.

Related Idioms

• 无可奈何

• 无可如何

• 无奈

Opposite Idioms

• 从容应对

• 积极应对