The enemies may be in the way... He doesn't wait until good works become fashionable. He proceeds although circumstances may not be favourable.

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Note added at 33 mins (2005-07-26 12:24:35 GMT)
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In early use, a forlorn hope was a picked body of men, detached to the front to begin the attack; a body of skirmishers. It then came to mean a person in a desperate condition. [OED]

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Note added at 56 mins (2005-07-26 12:47:20 GMT)
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Re the origin of \'forlorn hope\':
It’s an English corruption of the Dutch military term verloren hoop, literally ‘lost troop’ – enthusiastic young soldiers dispatched to storm the walls of an enemy fortification on the unlikely chance that they would succeed, and render a long siege unnecessary.


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Note added at 1 hr 15 mins (2005-07-26 13:06:26 GMT)
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Interesting Spanish link:
http://personal.telefonica.terra.es/web/ihycm/revista/91/her...
(look for \'forlorn hope\')

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Note added at 1 hr 45 mins (2005-07-26 13:36:29 GMT)
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Mind you, Ana, it wouldn\'t be a good idea to use the translation provided in the above link (\"empresa desesperada\"). In your context it\'s more like \"la vanguardia de los desesperados\" (excuse my Spanish).