虎头蛇尾 meaning in English
(比喻先紧后松, 有始无终) begin with tigerish energy but peter out towards the end; a brave beginning and weak ending; a flash in the pan; a tiger's head and a snake's tail; come out at the small end of the horn; do things by halves; fine start and poor finish; in like a lion, out like a lamb; start out well but not to continue; the mountain has brought forth a mouse
Examples
- He is of a variable mood ; he never finishes what he starts .
他这个人朝三暮四，做起事来总是虎头蛇尾。 - Perhaps the end with its characteristic squeezing of a transitive verb into an intransitive roleis too abrupt and anticlimactic .
说不定在结尾里她惯于把一个及物动词压成一个不及物动词显得过于突然，有虎头蛇尾之感。 - Seems a bit anticlimactic , doesn t it
似乎有点虎头蛇尾，不是吗？ - I ' ve asked you to do this for me because i know you ' re not a quitter
我要求你为我做这件事,因为我知道你做事不虎头蛇尾 - I ' ve asked you to do this for me because i know you ' re not a quitter
我要求你为我做这件事,因为我知道你做事不虎头蛇尾