Meaning:
“滚石” means to “roll a stone,” and “上山” is “uphill.” In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was a king of Ephyra (now known as Corinth) and was punished for chronic deceitfulness by being compelled to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down, repeating this action forever. During a recent tour to Northeast China, Chinese President Xi Jinping used the phrase “rolling a stone uphill” to refer to the difficulty the region faces in boosting its economy. Xi used the term in the sense that it would be a tough task, with no implication that efforts would be in vain and it could not be fulfilled.
Example:
A: 今天下班我们去看电影,你去不去?
Jīntiān xiàbān wǒmen qù kàn diànyǐng, nǐ qùbùqù?
We are going to the movies after work today. Are you coming with us?
B: 不去了,我手头有个项目到了滚石上山的阶段,今晚我又要加班了。
Bùqù le, wǒ shǒutóu yǒu gè xiàngmù dào le gǔnshí shàngshān de jiēduàn, jīnwǎn wǒ yòu yào jiābān le。
No. A project I am in charge of has met with some setbacks, and today I will have to work overtime again.
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