中國成語故事中英對(duì)照 功虧一簣

功虧一簣

Once a man planned to build a terrace.

古時(shí)，有一個(gè)人要筑一座九仞(八尺=一仞)高的山。

He worked very hard and spent a lot of time digging and carrying earth.

他十分努力的建造這座山，并且花了很多時(shí)間挖土、搬運(yùn)泥土。

When the mound was almost completed and only one more basket of earth was needed, the man gave up.

終于當(dāng)山快要建成的時(shí)候，幾乎只差最后一籃子的泥土就行了的時(shí)候，他放棄了。

The terrace was never completed.

這座山便永遠(yuǎn)無法完工。

This idiom means to fail to succeed for lack of final effort.

這個(gè)典故用以形容“離成功只有一步之遙，但最終失敗告終”的意思。