精卫填海

Pronunciation: jīng wèi tián hǎi Literal meaning: Bird fills sea with pebbles

Origin & Usage

This poignant idiom comes from the Classic of Mountains and Seas. Nüwa (女娃), the young daughter of Yandi the Flame Emperor, drowned in the Eastern Sea, and her spirit became a bird called Jingwei (精卫) that carried twigs and pebbles from the western mountains to drop into the water, determined to fill (填) the sea (海). She should not be confused with the creator goddess Nüwa (女娲), a different figure with a similar name. The bird's endless and hopeless labour became the classic Chinese image of unbreakable will against impossible odds.

Examples

English: "The small team persisted in challenging the industry giants"

Chinese: 这个小团队坚持不懈地挑战行业巨头