成语故事：功败垂成 A fall at the last hurdle

成语故事：功败垂成 A fall at the last hurdle

功败垂成

gōng bài chuí chéng

A fall at the last hurdle

功 means achievement or success,　败 means fail or defeat, 垂 means to be close or being almost there, 成 means to accomplish or to succeed. 功败垂成 is somewhat similar to the English proverb "There's many a slip between the cup and the lip," which implies a fall at the last hurdle.

Literal meaning: a fall at the last hurdle

Explanation: there's many a slip between the cup and the lip

E.g

还有两天就是期末考，希望你继续努力学习，不要功败垂成。

hái yǒu liǎng tiān jiù shì qī mò kǎo ，xī wàng nǐ jì xù nǔ lì xué xí ，bú yào gōng bài chuí chéng 。

There are two days to the final exam, I hope you can keep working hard and don’t fall at the last hurdle.