黄粱美梦 Yellow Millet Dream
Explanation
比喻虚幻的、不能实现的梦想。
It refers to an unrealistic, unattainable dream.
Origin Story
唐朝时期，有个叫卢生的书生，在旅途中困乏不堪，在一个小饭店里睡着了。他梦见自己高中状元，娶了美丽的妻子，还做了高官，过着荣华富贵的生活。他沉醉于梦境之中，不知过了多久。突然，一位老人把他叫醒，他发现自己还在小饭店里，店家正在蒸黄米饭，饭还没有熟。原来，刚才的一切都只是一场梦啊！
During the Tang Dynasty, a scholar named Lu Sheng, exhausted from a journey, fell asleep in a small inn. He dreamed that he had passed the imperial examination, married a beautiful wife, and become a high-ranking official, living a life of luxury and wealth. He was immersed in his dream, unaware of how long it had passed. Suddenly, an old man woke him up, and he found himself still in the inn, the shopkeeper steaming yellow rice, which was not yet cooked. It had all been just a dream!
Usage
常用来形容虚幻的梦想或不切实际的幻想。
Often used to describe unrealistic dreams or impractical fantasies.
Examples
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他的梦想只不过是黄粱一梦。
tā de mèngxiǎng zhǐ bùguò shì huángliáng yī mèng
His dream was just a pipe dream.
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不要做黄粱美梦，脚踏实地才能成功。
bùyào zuò huángliáng měi mèng, jiǎotàshídì cáinéng chénggōng
Don't daydream, hard work leads to success