燧石里拧不出水来（缘木求鱼）。
You cannot wring water from a flint.

给鸡蛋刮脸是很困难的——缘木求鱼。
It is very hard to shave an egg.

牺牲景气的改革，本来就如缘木求鱼。
Reform at the cost of prosperity will naturally come to no avail.

它若想那样解决问题，无异缘木求鱼。
He would be milking a bull if he tried to settle the problem that way.

在这家商行里想增加工资简直是缘木求鱼。
Getting a pay rise in this firm is like getting blood from a stone.

在这家商行里想增加工资简直是缘木求鱼。
Get a pay rise in this firm is like get blood from a stone.

所罗门看出在人与事上找寻满足，乃是缘木求鱼。
Solomon saw the futility of seeking satisfaction in people and things.

缘木求鱼比喻方向、方法不对，做事达不到目的。
"yuan mu qiu yu" means if your method is not right, you will be unable to attain your goal.

你向石头求水。你要求不可能的事。（缘木求鱼）
You want to get water from a stone.

沉稳安宁的心境无法保持，要想修行是缘木求鱼的。
It was impossible to practice without stable and tranquil mind.

况且，指望《物权法》解决贫富不均问题根本上就是缘木求鱼。
Moreover, on the "security law" is the fundamental solution to the problem of disparity between the rich and climbing a tree.

沉稳安宁的心境无法保持，想要修行，根本就是缘木求鱼，决无可能。
It was impossible to practice without stable and tranquil mind.

在这些政经因素没有根除的情况下，要改变现今日本派阀政治无异是缘木求鱼。
This paper argues that if these factors are not eliminated, it will be very difficult to change Japanese politics.

是的，让一些正在大赚特赚的人们说他们所在的市场有泡沫，无疑是缘木求鱼。
Yes, for some people are making big money special market bubble that they are located, is futile.

有这么多不同的观点及变量，企业想要落实绩效管理制度来达成目标，恐怕是缘木求鱼。
Has such many different viewpoints and the variable, the enterprise wants to carry out the achievements control system to achieve the goal, perhaps is climbs a tree to catch a fish.

事实上如今再去苛求周董求新求变都是缘木求鱼，现实的华语流行乐，谁比谁好多少，谁比谁差几何？！
Now go find fault with the fact Jay innovative ideas are unrealistic and a reality of the Chinese pop music and who better than anyone else how much worse than anyone else who geometry?!

如果你想以追求一般物品的方式去寻求这样的修为，那无异于缘木求鱼，或求马于菜市，根本是办不到的。
If you want to seek for the practice in the way you do on common thing, it is impossible to get it; like that you seek fish on the tree or buy horse in the food market.

博士学习最重要就是智性塑造，但如果你的老师要不住在几百哩开外就是一年到头四处演讲，这只能是缘木求鱼。
Doctoral study is all about intellectual formation, and that cannot be done by faculty who live hundreds of miles away or who are always out lecturing elsewhere.

我们图书馆人费尽力气创造系统和程序，想要控制带有不同用户显示形式的标识符，这种方法不但令人沮丧，而且根本就是缘木求鱼。
Those of us in libraries have struggled to create systems and programs that attempt to control identities with user display forms, and it is both a frustrating and flawed approach.

传统民法赋予违约金担保债务履行的功能，但将违约金视为损害赔偿的预定无异于缘木求鱼，只有完全是惩罚性质的违约金才能实现债的担保功能。
In fact, it is impossible to set penalty as compensatory damages for fulfilling the traditional guarantee funtion of debt in civil law , and only punitive damages can fulfill this task .