“杞人忧天”，“杞”是“古代地名（the name of an ancient state）”，“忧”的意思是“担忧、焦虑（worry）”。“杞人忧天”字面意思是杞国人担忧天会塌下来（The man of Qi was afraid that the heavens were about to fall on him），比方缺少依据或不必要的担忧和担忧（unnecessary worry，excessive anxiety），与英语俗话“meet trouble half-way”意思附近，表明“to worry, grow anxious, or distress oneself unnecessarily over something that has yet to happen”。

例句：

你不能杞人忧天的日子，否则会由于优柔寡断和焦虑而溃散。

You can't go through life meeting trouble halfway, or you'll end up paralyzed with indecision and anxiety.

或许明天会更好，咱们现在不应该杞人忧天。

Maybe tomorrow will be better. We shouldn't meet trouble halfway now.