work hard but to no avail 竹篮打水一场空

“竹篮打水一场空”，成语，又作竹篮打水（draw water with a bamboo basket ─ all in vain），比喻白费力气，没有效果，劳而无功（work hard but to no avail；a fruitless attempt）。

例句：

到头来，竹篮打水一场空。

Finally, it is like drawing water with a sieve.

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.