你是竹篮打水一场空。

You are drawing water with a sieve.

好几个月的斗争换来的却是竹篮打水一场空。

After months of struggling it had clearly gotten to be a futile exercise.

他当编辑的梦想证明不过是竹篮打水一场空。

His dream of being hired as an editor proved to be pie in the sky.

一味地追求不切实际的东西，到头来只能是竹篮打水一场空。

On pursuing the unpractical things, you will gain nothing in vain.

伊拉克是一场灾难，增兵是失败的，而且布什在那儿重建国家的努力完全是竹篮打水一场空。

Iraq is a disaster, the surge a failure, and Bush's exercise in nation building a total washout.