To attempt an impossible task; to make a futile effort, like trying to steam sand into rice, which will never yield a meal.
如果他想在没有足够资源的情况下完成这个项目，那简直是蒸沙为饭，注定不会成功。
If he wants to complete this project without sufficient resources, it would be like steaming sand into rice, doomed to fail.
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