海市蜃楼 (hǎi shì shèn lóu) — mirage (literal optical phenomenon); figurative illusion, pipe dream, unreal vision
Definition
Literally 'market on the sea, mansion in the mist' — a chengyu meaning 'mirage' in both the literal optical phenomenon and the figurative sense of an illusory, unattainable vision or pipe dream.
idiom
mirage (literal optical phenomenon)figurative illusionpipe dreamunreal vision
Examples
- ，海市蜃楼，。Zài shā mò lǐ, tā yǐ wéi zì jǐ kàn dào le hǎi shì shèn lóu, qí shí zhǐ shì huàn jué.In the desert, he thought he saw a mirage, but it was just an illusion.
- 海市蜃楼，。Nà ge hóng wěi de jì huà bú guò shì hǎi shì shèn lóu, gēn běn bù kě néng shí xiàn.That grand plan is nothing but a pipe dream; it's completely impossible to realize.
- ，海市蜃楼。Chuán shuō zhōng de péng lái xiān dǎo, duì gǔ rén lái shuō jiù xiàng hǎi shì shèn lóu yí yàng shén mì.The legendary fairy island of Penglai was as mysterious as a mirage to the ancients.
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