功败垂成
“in defeat.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
初次送墨参贡 铩羽而归
“For the first time, I entered my creation into the Tribute Ink Selection. Yet I failed and returned”
功败垂成
“in defeat.”
景东
“I, Jingdong,”
Direct spoken expression in this communicative setting.
In imperial China, presenting goods for imperial tribute carried immense stakes where even the slightest flaw at the final evaluation meant complete disgrace and ruin.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
to fall through at the critical moment of success
A formal four-character idiom (chengyu) used when an ambitious endeavor collapses just before its completion.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“Thus, the plan failed.”
“all our efforts will be wasted.”
“after this failed operation,”
“might have come to nothing at the last moment.”
“Giving up halfway means all previous efforts are wasted.”