Conversation : 错失良机 (To miss the boat) – Part I - Learn Chinese Everyday

Let’s learn some Chinese from this conversation:

Finn: Come on, Feifei! We are going to be late. This party is my big chance!

Feifei: I’m almost ready, Finn! 大家好，我是冯菲菲。Finn 邀请我和他一起去他那个特有钱的叔叔搞的聚会，听说他还请了好多名流。

Finn: Come on! And lots of musicians… Well, I’m a bit of a rocker myself, and this might just be my chance to meet someone famous… Come on!

Feifei: 原来 Finn 想借这个聚会显示一下自己的摇滚天赋！Ha! Coming!

Finn: Maybe I can join a band… live the rock star life… oh, this is my one big chance! Come on or I’ll miss the boat!

Feifei: Miss the boat? 你赶不上船了？怎么不早说！？

(Hurried steps, sound of rummaging in a wardrobe and a lifejacket inflating)

Feifei: Here I am.

Finn: A lifejacket!?

Feifei: 当然得戴上救生衣，以防万一！We are going on a boat! 我其实有点儿怕水，因为我不会游泳。

Finn: But Feifei, there’s no real boat. In English, we use the expression ‘to miss the boat’ to mean we are too late to take advantage of a good opportunity.

Feifei: What? 又没有船了？To miss the boat 船已经开走了，其实是个英语成语，比喻错过机会了，坐失良机？

Finn: That’s it. Listen to these examples.

If I hadn’t bought a new flat last year I would have missed the boat. Properties are more expensive now.

I should have travelled the world when I was young. Now I have a family to take care of. I might have missed the boat.

Feifei: 这个短语其实是用船离港这个动作来表示错过了一个机会。

Finn: Well, we’re not going to make it on time now, unless… we take my uncle’s helicopter! It’s parked in a field nearby. Come on!

Feifei: Helicopter! 你叔叔还有自己的直升飞机？那不成我们还真的坐飞机去参加这个聚会？等一下 Finn.

(Hurried steps, rummaging in the wardrobe again)

Feifei: 这次我可是完全做好了飞行准备。

Finn: Feifei, is that what I think it is? A parachute?!

Feifei: 坐飞机当然得带降落伞了，我不会游泳就更别提会飞了。再说了，我有恐高症。

Finn: OK. Feifei, don’t worry. Let’s just go to the party. We don’t want to miss the boat, do we?

Feifei: 不要 miss the boat, 也不能错过直升飞机！Bye.

Finn: Bye.

(Helicopter taking off)

Here are the first part Chinese sentences of the conversation:

错失良机

cuò shī liáng jī

miss the boat

大家好，我是冯菲菲。Finn 邀请我和他一起去他那个特有钱的叔叔搞的聚会，听说他还请了好多名流。

邀请	yāo qǐng	invite
特有(钱)	tè yǒu (qián )	特别有钱extremely (rich)
聚会	jù huì	party
名流	míng liú	a person who is famously recognized in a society or culture