蚍蜉撼大树蚍蜉撼树pí fú hàn dà shùan ant trying to topple a giant tree—ridiculously overrate oneself (/one’s own strength)
❍ 近有文侩，勾结小报，竟也作文奚落先生以自鸣得意，真可谓“小人不欲成人之美”而且“～，可笑不自量”了！ (《鲁迅全集》Ⅳ—215)Recently some philistines have written articles for the papers jeering at him in a superior way. This just proves that “A low mind thinks the worst of everyone” and “A tiny insect,trying to shake a mighty tree,is ludicrously ignorant of its own weakness.”/～，可笑不自量！ (韩愈《调张籍》见郭沫若《李白与杜甫》182) They are like gnats that try to shake a giant tree,|Ridiculous and ignorant of their own abilities.
❍ 蚂蚁缘槐夸大国，蚍蜉撼树谈何易。(《毛泽东诗词·满江红·和郭沫若同志》93) Ants on the locust tree assume a great-nation swagger|And magflies lightly plot to topple the giant tree. 蚍蜉撼大树pi fu han da shuan ant trying to topple a giant tree—ridiculously overrate oneself 蚍蜉撼大树pi fu han da shuan ant trying to topple a giant tree(meaning ridiculously overrate oneself) |