望洋興嘆

Chinese

		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

From the book Zhuangzi.

於是焉河伯始旋其面目，望洋向若而歎。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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于是焉河伯始旋其面目，望洋向若而叹。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Zhuangzi, circa 3^rd – 2^nd 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

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): wàngyángxīngtàn

  (Zhuyin): ㄨㄤˋ ㄧㄤˊ ㄒㄧㄥ ㄊㄢˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): mong⁶ joeng⁴ hing¹ taan³

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wàngyángxīngtàn
    • Zhuyin: ㄨㄤˋ ㄧㄤˊ ㄒㄧㄥ ㄊㄢˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wàngyángsingtàn
    • Wade–Giles: wang⁴-yang²-hsing¹-tʻan⁴
    • Yale: wàng-yáng-syīng-tàn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: wanqyangshingtann
    • Palladius: ванъянсинтань (vanʺjansintanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɑŋ⁵¹ jɑŋ³⁵ ɕiŋ⁵⁵ tʰän⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: mong⁶ joeng⁴ hing¹ taan³
    • Yale: mohng yèuhng hīng taan
    • Cantonese Pinyin: mong⁶ joeng⁴ hing¹ taan³
    • Guangdong Romanization: mong⁶ yêng⁴ hing¹ tan³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɔːŋ²² jœːŋ²¹ hɪŋ⁵⁵ tʰaːn³³/

Idiom

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