She closed her eyes tightly in a vain attempt to hold back the tears.

她紧闭双眼，却无法忍住眼泪。

《牛津词典》

It was a vain attempt to shift the responsibility for the murder to somebody else.

把这项谋杀的罪责转嫁于他人是徒劳之举。

《柯林斯英汉双解大词典》

The drafting committee worked through the night in a vain attempt to finish on schedule.

起草委员会徒劳地通宵工作想按期完成工作。

《柯林斯英汉双解大词典》

In a vain attempt to put the charges in perspective, Lim called Mahathir's daughter Marina to testify.

CNN: Truth and Consequence

Japan already has a vast deficit, thanks to years of wasteful public-works projects funded in a vain attempt to revive its sick economy.

ECONOMIST: Interest rates

More and more rural areas are being buried under concrete in a vain attempt to tackle congestion on motorways and other major routes.

ECONOMIST: Jam today, road pricing tomorrow