源自運動和游戲的10個英語習語

很多古老的運動和游戲如板球、拳擊和紙牌給英語引入了豐富的習語，今天咱們就介紹一些來源于體育運動和娛樂游戲的習語。

1. To keep your cards close to your chest – don't reveal your plans
將牌藏在胸前 - 不泄露自己的計劃，守口如瓶

例句：

I kept my cards close to my chest during the negotiation. (Card games)
在談判的過程中，我一直對于自己的底牌守口如瓶。（紙牌游戲）

2. Poker-faced – expressionless (comes from the game of poker where you must not let your face reveal whether you have a good or bad card)
撲克臉 - 面無表情的（來源于撲克游戲，玩撲克時不能讓表情泄露自己是牌好還是牌壞）

例句：

The clients sat poker-faced all through my sales pitch. It was so unnerving. (Poker)
在我整個宣傳推銷過程中客戶始終面無表情地靜坐，這讓人感到很氣餒。（撲克游戲）

3. Knock sb for six – to shock or upset someone very much, or to make someone very ill
一擊得最高分(6分) - 使某人大吃一驚，給某人以沉重打擊或者讓某人感到十分難受

例句：

Jenny has just announced that she's leaving which has knocked me for six. I really enjoyed working with her. (Ball games)
珍妮剛剛宣布了她要離開的事，這讓我感到十分震驚。我真的很喜歡和她共事。（球類運動）

4. Play one's trump card – use the advantage especially when others do not know about it
打出王牌 - 利用優勢，尤其是別人不知道的優勢

例句：

The CEO played his trump card by promising a dividend payout at the shareholders' meeting. (Card game)
首席執行官在股東大會上甩出殺手锏：承諾分紅派息。（紙牌游戲）

5. A whole new ball game – a completely different situation
一個全新的球局 - 一個完全不同的局面

例句：

This is a whole new ball game if we're talking about expanding the business. (Ball games)
如果我們談論的是擴大業務規模，那就完全是另一碼事了。（球類運動）

6. To play hard ball – to be so determined to get what you want that you will use unfair methods to get it.
打硬式棒球?- 決心要得到自己想要得到的以至于要采取一些不正當的手段來達到目的

例句：

The people here like to play hard ball which can be very challenging. (Ball games)
這里的人喜歡采取強硬手段，可能會極具挑戰性。（球類運動）

7. Don't pull any punches – speak in an honest and direct way without being tactful
不打虛拳?- 坦誠直言，毫不保留

例句：

The CEO didn't pull any punch when he told the board that the company was in trouble. (Boxing)
CEO在告知董事會成員公司處于麻煩之中時并沒有打太極，而是坦誠直言。（拳擊運動）

8. Below the belt – an unfair attack (in boxing that is not allowed)
腰帶下方 - 不正當的攻擊（在拳擊比賽中這是不允許的）

例句：

There was no need to mention my personal problems to the press. That was below the belt. (Boxing)
我沒必要跟媒體談論我的私人問題。這是不合理的。（拳擊運動）

9. Throw in the towel – giving up and admitting defeat
扔毛巾 - 認輸，承認失敗

例句：

I think we need to accept things as they are and throw in the towel before we lose any more money. (Boxing)
我認為我們應該接受事實，在我們輸掉更多錢之前認輸。（拳擊運動）

10. Hold all the cards – to be in a strong position
持有所有的牌 - 掌控整體局勢，占上風

例句：

Management found that the trade union held all the cards during the pay talks. (Card games)
管理層發現工會在整個薪資討論過程中一直占上風。（紙牌游戲）

（來源：滬江英語、Englsih with a twist 編輯：劉明）