杯水车薪
Bēi shuǐ chē xīn
Literal Meaning: “A cup of water to put out a cartload of burning firewood.” The phrase describes an attempt to solve a big problem with a solution that is far too small or insufficient.
Figurative Meaning: It is used to describe a situation where the effort or resources provided are completely inadequate to address the scale of the problem. It emphasizes the mismatch between the solution and the problem.
Usage Example: 对于这个巨大的经济危机，政府的救助计划不过是杯水车薪。
Hanyu Pinying: Duìyú zhège jùdà de jīngjì wēijī, zhèngfǔ de jiùzhù jìhuà bùguò shì bēi shuǐ chē xīn.
English Meaning: In the face of this huge economic crisis, the government’s relief plan is just a drop in the bucket.
Bible Verse: Zechariah 4:6 (NIV): “So he said to me, ‘This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.”
This emphasizes that what seems like 杯水车薪 from a human perspective can be transformed through divine intervention.
