雪泥鸿爪

xuěníhóngzhǎo

雪泥鸿爪 — xuěníhóngzhǎo

1. a goose's footprint in the snow (literal meaning)

   雪地上留下了几道雪泥鸿爪。 xuědì shàng liúxià le jǐdào xuěníhóngzhǎo — A few goose footprints were left in the snow.

2. vestiges or traces of the past; remnants left behind

   这座古城只剩下雪泥鸿爪，难以重现昔日的辉煌。 zhè zuò gǔchéng zhǐ shèngxià xuěníhóngzhǎo nányǐ chóngxiàn xīrì de huīhuáng — Only traces of the old city remain, making it hard to recreate its former glory.

3. the fleeting nature of human life; something transient and soon gone

   人生如雪泥鸿爪，应珍惜当下。 rénshēng rú xuěníhóngzhǎo yīng zhēnxī dāngxià — Human life is like footprints in the snow — cherish the present.