杯水车薪

Bēi Shuǐ Chē Xīn

用一杯水去救一车烧着的柴火,力量太小,根本解决不了问题。

One cup of water against a cartload of blazing firewood — too little to help at all.

这zhè个gè成chéng语yǔ出chū自zì《孟mèng子zi》。孟mèng子zi是shì战zhàn国guó时shí候hòu的de大dà思sī想xiǎng家jiā,他tā常cháng常cháng用yòng生shēng动dòng的de小xiǎo故gù事shì,讲jiǎng很hěn深shēn的de道dào理lǐ。

有yǒu一yī次cì,孟mèng子zi对duì学xué生shēng说shuō:“有yǒu一yī个gè人rén,赶gǎn着zhe一yī车chē柴chái火huǒ上shàng路lù。半bàn路lù上shàng,车chē上shàng的de柴chái忽hū然rán烧shāo了le起qǐ来lái,火huǒ苗miáo”“呼hū”地dì一yī下xià蹿cuān得de老lǎo高gāo。他tā急jí得de团tuán团tuán转zhuǎn,跑pǎo到dào旁páng边biān,舀yǎo了le满mǎn满mǎn一yī杯bēi水shuǐ,泼pō向xiàng火huǒ堆duī。”

学xué生shēng们men听tīng了le都dōu笑xiào起qǐ来lái:一yī车chē烧shāo得de正zhèng旺wàng的de柴chái火huǒ,一yī杯bēi水shuǐ怎zěn么me够gòu救jiù呢ne?水shuǐ一yī碰pèng到dào火huǒ,马mǎ上shàng就jiù变biàn成chéng白bái烟yān,火huǒ还hái是shì呼hū呼hū地dì烧shāo,那nà人rén只zhǐ能néng眼yǎn看kàn着zhe整zhěng车chē柴chái全quán部bù烧shāo成chéng灰huī。

孟mèng子zi接jiē着zhe说shuō:做zuò好hǎo事shì也yě是shì一yī样yàng。如rú果guǒ只zhǐ做zuò一yī点diǎn点diǎn,却què想xiǎng救jiù一yī件jiàn很hěn大dà的de事shì,就jiù像xiàng用yòng一yī杯bēi水shuǐ去qù救jiù一yī车chē火huǒ,根gēn本běn没méi有yǒu用yòng。要yào想xiǎng真zhēn正zhèng解jiě决jué问wèn题tí,就jiù得děi拿ná出chū足zú够gòu的de力lì量liàng和hé办bàn法fǎ。

后hòu来lái人rén们men就jiù用yòng“杯bēi水shuǐ车chē薪xīn”,形xíng容róng力lì量liàng太tài小xiǎo,根gēn本běn解jiě决jué不bù了liǎo大dà问wèn题tí。

This idiom comes from the Mencius. Mencius was a great thinker of the Warring States period, and he often used vivid little stories to teach deep lessons.

One day he told his students: “A man was pulling a cart full of firewood down the road. Suddenly the wood on the cart burst into flames, shooting up high. He panicked, ran to the side, scooped up a single cup of water, and threw it at the fire.”

The students laughed. How could a cartload of roaring flames be put out with a single cup of water? The moment the water touched the fire, it turned to white steam, while the flames kept blazing — and the man could only watch his whole cart burn to ashes.

Mencius went on: doing good is the same. If you give only a tiny bit of help to a huge problem, it is just like tossing one cup of water onto a cart of fire. Nothing will change. Real solutions need real strength and planning.

Today “a cup of water on a cart of firewood” describes help so small that it cannot possibly solve the big problem in front of it.