draw water with a bamboo basket—a useless effort;achieve nothing;all for (/comes to)naught;all in vain; be of no avail
❍ 咳！ 这一来，～！ (梁斌《红旗谱》163) Ah! we were drawing water in a bamboo basket.
竹篮子打水一场空
draw water with a leaky bamboo basket—end up with nothing;make futile attempts,get no where;draw water with a sieve—fruitless labor