fall at the first hurdle 倒在第一关

如果你 fall at the first hurdle, 意思就是在做某件事情的时候，在一开始就犯了错误或失败了。

例句

The football team fell at the first hurdle when they were knocked out of the tournament in the opening game.

My plan to travel the world fell at the first hurdle when I realised I'd lost my passport before I even left the country.

His efforts to save money fell at the first hurdle when the washing machine broke down and he had to buy a new one.

请注意

另一个短语 fall or bend over backwards 意思是为取悦他人而竭尽全力。

I fell over backwards to make a nice meal for my mother-in-law.

I always bend over backwards to make sure my work is accurate.