One Basket Short | 功亏一篑

English Original

Once, a man set out to build a high terrace.

He toiled diligently, spending much time digging and hauling earth.

When the mound was nearly complete, requiring just one final basket of soil, he abandoned the task.

Thus, the terrace was never finished.

This idiom describes failing at the very last step due to a lack of final effort.


中文翻译

古时,有一个人打算修筑一座九仞(八尺为一仞)高的土山。

他十分努力地工作,花费了大量时间挖掘和搬运泥土。

当土山即将建成,只差最后一篮泥土的时候,他却放弃了。

这座山因此永远无法完工。

这个典故用以形容事情在即将成功时,因最后一点努力没有到位而失败。

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