镜中花，水中月，但事情往往是镜中无花，水中无月，竹楼打水一场空。今天偶们来学学虚幻、不真实的、子虚乌有的该如何表达？

1. mare's nest

mare's nest的渊源，简单地近乎荒诞──因为母马从不筑巢穴，所以mare's nest（母马的巢穴）自然也就不会存在。由此，"mare's nest"常用来比喻“原以为重要的追求，到头来来却空欢喜梦一场”。或许，人们又觉得，不会筑巢的母马既使筑巢穴也会搞得一团糟（更为荒诞的推理），所以，"mare's nest"又可用来指代“杂乱、无序、棘手”的状况。

a) a discovery that seems important but is actually of no value.
b) a confused situation or a very untidy place.

请看例句：

He thought the girl would be his wife-to-be, only to find a mare's nest.
他一直以为那个女孩会嫁给他，到头来却是空欢喜一场。

It's said that a 60-year-old woman was pregnant.
传说一个60岁的老太太怀孕了。

It proved just to be a mare's nest.
根本就是子虚乌有。

2. be for the birds

毫无价值的，荒唐可笑的。

old-fashioned informal to be silly, useless, or not practical.

请看例句：

Their opinions on art are simply for the birds.
他们对艺术的见解真是荒唐可笑。