an utterly inadequate measure
It is a Chinese idiom, Pinyin is B ē ishu ǐ y ú x ī n, which means that the power is small and useless. From the new temple of emperor Wenzhong of Tang Dynasty.
The origin of Idioms
Cao Fu of the Song Dynasty wrote in the new temple of Tang Yan Wenzhong: "a cup of water and a salary, a force and no resistance."
Idiom usage
It can't solve the problem with little power.
an utterly inadequate measure
go over mountains and cross streams - dēng shān shè shuǐ