望洋興嘆

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Chinese

[edit]
looking upwards; looking into the distance to heave a sigh; to lament; to bemoan
trad. (望洋興嘆/望洋興歎) 望洋 興嘆/興歎
simp. (望洋兴叹) 望洋 兴叹

Etymology

[edit]

From the book Zhuangzi.

於是河伯望洋 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
于是河伯望洋 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: Zhuangzi, circa 3rd – 2nd centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
Yúshì yān Hébó shǐ xuán qí miànmù, wàngyáng xiàng Ruò ér tàn. [Pinyin]
Then he began to turn his face round, looked across the expanse, as if he were confronting Ruo, and said with a sigh.

Pronunciation

[edit]

Idiom

[edit]

望洋興嘆

  1. to lament one's littleness in face of something vast and great; to feel powerless in face of a great task