刻鹄类骛kè hú lèi wù

汉·马援《诫兄子严敦书》：“学龙伯高不就，犹为谨饬之士，所谓刻鹄不成，尚类鹜者。”鹄，天鹅；鹜；鸭子。后用“刻鹄类鹜”比喻模仿得虽不全像，但是还近似。《文心雕龙·比兴》：“故比类虽繁，以切至为贵，若刻鹄类鹜，则无所取焉。”也作“刻鹄成鹜”。清·卷盦《〈蔽庐丛志〉序》：“又或食古如鲠，刻鹄成鹜。”也作“刻木为鹄”。明·郑瑗《井观琐言》卷一：“杨氏《法言》，王氏《中说》，所谓刻木为鹄者也。”也省作“刻鹄”。宋·华镇《丛玉山》：“分知方外学屠龙，不及人间谋刻鹄。”

刻鹄类骛刻鹄不成kè hú lèi wù

try to carve a swan but turn out a duck—❶the imitation does not quite resemble the reality but is not far away; aim reasonably high you won’t fall far short;
❷fail to achieve what one set out to do; had better not be over-ambitious
❍ 将来工匠一门，不用聘请外国人，就是有人开造机器的厂，也有内行人指点，不至于刻鹄不成了。(姬文《市声》三十一) In future we don’t have to hire foreigners as craftsmen. Even if someone wants to start a machinery plant,he can go to our adepts for advice and won’t fail to achieve his purpose.