打水漂,原本指一种投掷石子的大众游戏,马上扁平石子沿水面水平飞出,石片碰到水面后向前弹跳数次(throw a flat stone horizontally over water so that it touches and rises off the surface several times)。目前用来比喻一个人对某件事投入资金或者精力,却没丝毫收益(work or money goes down the drain)。
例句:
大家看一个孩子在湖边打水漂。
We watched a child skimming stones across the lake.
他的投资全打水漂了。
He got nothing back from his investment.