徒劳无益: flog a dead horse; be a fool for one's pains; be merely wasting one's energy; carry coals to new castle; come to naught; end (up) in smoke; look for a needle in a bundle of hay [in a hayst
近乎: 1.(接近于) close to; little short of; near; almost; approximately 短语和例子近乎不可能 almost impossible; 近乎荒谬的论点 an argument little short of being ridiculous; an argument bordering on the absurd; 近乎黑色