want to go south while driving the chariot northward—act in a way that defeats the purpose; head in the opposite direction;poles apart (/asunder); run counter to
? 要?jiǎng)倮趾鲆曊蝿?dòng)員，叫做“南其轅而北其轍”，結(jié)果必然取消了勝利。(《毛澤東選集》448) To wish for victory and yet neglect political mobilization is like wishing to “go south by driving the chariot north”，and the result would inevitably be to forfeit victory.
? 多謝娘娘指引枉了上下俄延，都做了北轍南轅。(洪昇《長(zhǎng)生殿》)Thank you for your directions. I have travelled up and down on the wrong track!
南轅北轍
try to go south by driving the chariot northward—go to the opposite direction;be poles apart
南轅北轍nán yuán běi zhé
轅：車轅，車子前面駕牲口的部分； 轍：指車輪碾過的痕跡。想往南面去，而車子卻向北行。比喻辦事不按事理，結(jié)果必然與愿望相反，永遠(yuǎn)達(dá)不到目的。act in a way that defeats one’s purpose, run counter to as wide as the poles apart, poles apart