"無一文から極貧にまで上り詰めた。"
— Groucho Marx
Simplified Meaning:
This quote describes a person who tried very hard to improve their situation, but things only got worse instead. Imagine someone who starts with almost no money and works very hard every day, hoping to become better off. Despite all of their efforts and struggles, they end up in an even worse situation with even less money - now they are extremely poor. This situation can be like a small business owner who puts all their time and energy into their shop, but due to bad luck or poor decisions, loses everything and ends up in debt. The key message here is frustration and irony; working so hard with such high hopes, only to end up further behind than where you started. In life, it's important to recognize when to change strategies or seek help if our efforts don't lead to better outcomes. This can help us avoid ending up worse off despite good intentions and hard work.