若是遇到什么复杂情况，长辈们常常嘱咐我们要“见机行事”，“抓住了机会”就好办事，要是错过了机会，就只有慨叹“痛失良机”了。今天我们就来学学这三个词的表达。

1. 抓住机会 jump at the chance

Jump at the chance 的意思就是“（迅速地）抓住机会”，跳起来抓，是够迅速的，比如：When the lead singer became ill, Sheila jumped at the chance to replace her.

这个片语还有个很形象的变体，就是jump at the bait¹，看见有好处就跳上去了，比如：They offered a large reward, hoping that someone would jump at the bait.

另外，jump at 也可以表示“抓住……”，通常是有好处的事情，例如：When Dad said he'd help pay for my vacation, I jumped at the offer.

2. 见机行事 play something by ear

Play something by ear 的意思就是“见机行事”。这个片语来自于演奏音乐，说的是演奏家们不看乐谱，只凭自己的耳朵来演奏，后来引申为“to deal with a situation as it develops and without a plan 随机应变，见机行事”，例如：I'm not sure if I can go bowling² or not, I'll just have to play it by ear. 不过呢，比较起来，英语的含义似乎没有我们汉语中这么强烈的感情色彩。

3. 痛失良机 Let something slip through one’s fingers

没有抓住机会会怎样？就会“痛失良机”了，“让什么东西从你的手指尖溜走”就表示“痛失机会”，例如：You can’t be more stupid! How could you let such a golden opportunity to make big money slip through your fingers? It was an opportunity that comes once in a blue moon. 　　（你真蠢！这样一个发大财的机会千载难逢，你怎能眼睁睁的让他跑掉那？）这里的 once in a blue moon 就是指“千载难逢”。