Duōnián de nǔlì fùzhū-dōngliú, tā gǎndào fēicháng shīluò.
Years of effort went down the drain; he felt deeply disappointed.
Tips
memory
Picture throwing something into a river flowing east. In China's geography, rivers generally flow east to the sea. Once thrown in, it's gone forever. 付 (give up) + 诸 (to) + 东流 (eastward current) = lost forever downstream.
