理解习语“Come Up Short”：含义及其英文用法

学习英语习语可以让你的表达更加地道，而理解像 “come up short” 这样的表达，是掌握英语会话的关键。如果你曾经好奇 come up short 是什么意思，或者如何正确使用这个短语，你来对地方了！本篇将讲解其含义，提供例句，展示常见错误与纠正，并带来实践机会。让我们一起深入了解，在英文对话中如何高效使用 “come up short” 吧。

Understanding the idiom Come Up Short

“Come Up Short”是什么意思？

Come up short 表示未能实现目标、不够、或缺乏某物，通常是在努力之后仍未达到预期。它暗示距离目标或期望只有一步之遥。比如，如果一支球队需要三球才能获胜，但只进了两球，那么他们就 come up short 了。

閱讀更多: 理解 Cash Cow 习语：你的关键商务英语表达指南

什么时候该用“Come Up Short”？

这个习语常用于非正式和半正式场合，尤其在日常对话、体育评论或讨论某项努力没有完全达到预期时。适用于谈论计划、尝试或资源不充足等情况。

虽然 “come up short” 并不算非常俚语，但对于非常学术或高度正式的书面报告，可能稍显口语化，在这些场合更倾向用 “insufficient” 或 “failed to meet the criteria” 这样的表述。

常见错误： 介绍学习者常犯的错误及其纠正方法：

常见错误	为什么错/解释	正确用法/纠正方式
例如，“He came up shortly.”	“shortly” 是副词，意思是“很快”；但这个习语是固定短语。	使用完整习语：He came up short.
例如，仅用于身高。	虽然在某些情况下可以用于物理长度（比如梯子太短），但这个习语的主要意思是指“失败或缺少”。	关注其习语意义：未达成目标或缺少某物。如“Our funding came up short.”
例如，“The funds came up shortly for the project.”	“Shortly” 是“很快”“很短时间”的意思。该习语需用“short”表示不够。	The funds came up short* for the project.*

我们如何使用“Come Up Short”？

短语 come up short 属于动词短语。通常与主语连用，描述某种努力的结果，或某种资源的短缺。它是不及物动词短语，一般不带宾语，常与介词短语连用（如 on funds, of the target）。

以下是几个例子：

"The team played well but came up short in the final minutes."
"We needed $1000 for the project, but our fundraising efforts came up short."

最常见的句型结构：

句型结构	“Come Up Short”例句	简要说明
主语 + come up short	"Their overall efforts came up short."	基本用法，作谓语短语。
主语 + come up short + 介词短语	"She came up shorton her exam score to pass."	常跟具体说明短缺内容或目标的介词短语。
主语 + 助动词 + come up short	"I'm afraid we might come up short on supplies this month."	与情态动词（might, may, will）或其他助动词连用。
主语 + come up short + by 数量/程度	"They came up shortby two votes in the election."	具体说明不够的数量或差距。

同义词及相关表达

了解同义表达有助于丰富语言。以下是与 come up short 相关的表达方式及其语气、适用场合说明：

同义词/相关表达	语气/正式程度说明	例句
Fall short	与come up short非常接近，用法更灵活，语气略正式一些。	"His performance fell short of expectations."
Not make the cut	较口语，常用于选拔、竞赛或达标情况。	"Many applicants were talented but didn't make the cut."
Miss the mark	用法广泛，表示未达预期目标或有偏差。	"Her estimate for the project costs missed the mark by a wide margin."
Be lacking (in something) / Be wanting (in something)	更正式，形容缺乏某种品质或数量。	"The final report was found to be lacking in crucial detail."
Run out of steam	口语化，常指没能完成目标前就已疲惫或泄气。	"The project started well but ran out of steam before completion."
Not measure up	表示未达到标准或期望。	"His skills didn't quite measure up to the job requirements."

英文对话示例

语境对于理解习语非常关键。以下对话展示了 come up short 的实际用法：

对话1：筹款活动

Liam: "How did the charity bake sale go? Did you raise enough for the new playground equipment?"
Sophia: "Almost! We were aiming for $500, but we came up short by about $50. Still, it was a fantastic effort from everyone involved."
Liam: "That's a shame, but $450 is still great! Maybe a small follow-up event?"

对话2：项目物资

Manager (David): "Sarah, did we receive all the components for the new prototype assembly?"
Employee (Sarah): "We got most of them, David. Unfortunately, we came up short on the specialized microchips. The supplier said they're on backorder."
Manager (David): "Hmm, that's a setback. See if you can find an alternative supplier, or we'll miss our deadline."

对话3：求职面试

Chloe: "I really thought I had that job interview aced. I answered all their questions well."
Ben: "Oh no, what happened? Didn't you get an offer?"
Chloe: "They called today. They said I was a very strong candidate but ultimately came up short on direct industry experience compared to one other person. It's disappointing."
Ben: "I'm sorry to hear that, Chloe. Don't let it get you down; you'll find the right fit!"

练习时间！

准备好测试你对 come up short 理解与应用了吗？试试这些有趣的练习任务！可以挑选最合适的练习题。

1. 快速测验！

题目： 选择以下句子或选项中正确的含义或用法，完成 come up short。
- Question 1: Despite training hard for months, the athlete unfortunately ______ in the final seconds of the race.
  - a) came up short
  - b) came up shortly
  - c) came up tall
- Question 2: If a team 'comes up short' in a competition, it generally means they:
  - a) won the competition easily
  - b) didn't have quite enough to succeed or meet their goal
  - c) arrived later than expected to the competition
- Question 3: "We needed ten volunteers for the event, but only eight people showed up, so we ______ for the tasks we had planned."
  - a) came over short
  - b) came up short
  - c) came in short
Answers to Quick Quiz:
1. a) came up short
2. b) didn't have quite enough to succeed or meet their goal
3. b) came up short

2. 习语配对小游戏：

题目： 将A栏的句子开头与B栏合适的结尾配对，使之和 “come up short” 相关逻辑通顺。

提示：将A栏的句子开头和B栏正确结尾配对：

A栏（句子开头）	B栏（句子结尾）
1. The company's profits this quarter unfortunately	a) on the necessary votes to pass the new bill.
2. He tried his best to finish the marathon, but his energy	b) and couldn't afford the concert tickets she wanted.
3. The political party came up short	c) came up short of their ambitious initial targets.
4. She counted her savings and realized she'd come up short	d) came up short near the grueling end.

Answers to Idiom Match-Up Game: 1-c, 2-d, 3-a, 4-b

结语：掌握英语成就中的细微差别

学习如 come up short 这样的习语，是让英语听起来流利自然的一大步。它能帮你用简明常见的表达，描述“差一点”或“不足”的情况，对于清晰沟通非常有用。

持续练习，你也会像母语者一样用得自如！掌握这些表达能丰富英语词汇，更好地体会英语日常对话的微妙差异。即使在学习中偶尔 come up short，每一次努力都很有价值！

你或你认识的谁，有没有过 “come up short” 但从中学到宝贵经验的案例？欢迎在下方评论区分享你的故事！

List Alternate Posts

English Portuguese Spanish Vietnamese Italian Japanese Indonesian Russian German Thai Korean French Arabic Turkish Dutch