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)

当然得戴上救生衣，以防万一！

戴 dài wear 救生衣 jiù shēng yī life jacket 以防万一 yǐ fáng wàn yī prepared for all contingencies

我其实有点儿怕水，因为我不会游泳。

其实 qí shí actually 有点 yǒu diǎn a bit of 怕水 pà shuǐ afraid of water   游泳 yóu yǒng swim

又没有船了？ 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？

成语 chéng yǔ idiom, proverb 比喻 bǐ yù figure of speech 错过 cuò guò miss 机会 jī huì chance