【大紀元9月10日訊】
今天我們還要學幾個美國總統大選中常用的習慣用語。我們曾經說過，英語詞彙很多都來自體育運動。今天要學的第一個習慣用語就來自號稱「皇家運動」的賽馬: down to the wire。
這裡的wire指賽馬跑道終點拉的終點線。它在幾乎不相上下的競賽中有助於判斷究竟誰先誰後。我們觀看賽馬時有時會見到領先的幾匹馬幾乎不分前後，要直到衝過終點線的一剎那才定勝負。這就是這個習慣用語的出典。Down to the wire如今常用在政界，尤其是競選運動中。
我們來聽一名電台記者在評論在2000年大選中希望得到民主黨總統侯選人提名的兩個競爭對手戈爾和布拉德利。他還用了也來自賽馬運動的另一個習慣用語: neck and neck。 Neck to neck意思是不分前後。好，我們來聽這位電台記者怎麼評論新罕普甚爾州初選即將舉行前這兩名對手間的戰況:
例句-1：With only a week to go, the polls show that the two candidates are running neck and neck. The race is still so close it may go right down to the wire.
離開選舉只有一星期了，民意測驗結果顯示兩名侯選人不相上下，競爭如此激烈，所以可能要到最後一刻結果才見分曉。
這裡的down to the wire用來描繪到最後一刻方見勝負的激烈競爭。
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再學個常用在競選運動中的習慣用語: blow out。 Blow out這個短語有許多不同的解釋。我們以前學過它可以指輪胎爆了，或者吹滅蠟燭火焰，也能用來說一個講究排場的盛大宴會。但是blow out用在政壇鬥爭中有完全不同的意思。也許很多人都領教過強大颱風的威力。它所到之處吹倒房屋，拔起大樹，幾乎是無堅不摧，掃清一切障礙。
Blow out這短語令人聯想起颱風這種壓倒一切的威勢。我們聽個例子。說話的人在談本州州長的競選運動。
例句-2：I think our governor will blow out his opponents. He’s done a good job and people like him. Besides, the man running against him is someone voters never heard of.
他說：他們州長的工作很有成效，得到民眾的愛戴。而他的競爭對手卻是個默默無聞的人，可見州長會以壓倒優勢擊敗對手。
所以這裡的blow out這個習慣用語的意思一定是以壓倒優勢擊敗對手，或者說是所向無敵。其實blow out這個習慣用語還有個比較長的形式: blow out of the water。 Blow out of the water來自海戰：軍艦被猛烈的炮火擊中後，炸飛上天，隨即沉入海底，無影無蹤地從水面上消失了。這是blow out of the water這個習慣用語的出典。聽個例子：
例句-3：Most experts in newspapers and TV are predicting our party will blow the other side out of the water in most of the country this fall.
這句話說: 報界和電視界的多數專家預計今年秋天我們的黨將在全國大部份地區把對方打得一敗塗地。
習慣用語blow out of the water是徹底擊敗的意思。
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我們再學個習慣說法。它只包括一個詞: clobber。在二次大戰中英國飛行員去德國執行轟炸任務凱旋而歸時，常用clobber這個詞來匯報自己如何命中攻擊目標，並造成敵方嚴重損失。逐漸政界也借用clobber這個詞了，表示什麼意思呢? 我們聽個例子吧，這是某黨派的競選幹事在歸納目前的選戰形勢。
例句-4：In South Carolina our candidate clobbered the opponent. But in a couple of days, our opponent turned the table and clobbered our candidate in Michigan to stay in the race.
他說：在南卡羅萊納州我們的侯選人重挫對手。但是幾天後在密西根州，我們的對手卻反敗為勝沉重打擊我方侯選人，保住了繼續參選的地位。
這裡的clobber意思就是沉重打擊。 Clobber這個詞不僅在選戰中相當流行，它還常用在運動比賽裡。大家一定知道一個習慣說法往往會有多種用途。
流行美語 第304課
李華在Larry辦公大樓門口遇到他。Larry看上去十分疲倦。今天我們要學兩個常用語： Back to square one和 hankering.
LH: Larry, 你昨天晚上是不是又熬夜加班了？看上去一臉疲憊。
LL: Did I ever! I was here all night doing work on this new marketing project, but ultimately I did not get anywhere. I may have to change the ad’s concept completely, even though that would mean going back to square one.
LH: 你要去square one出差？遠嗎？
LL: Square one is not an actual place. It means going back to the beginning.
LH: 我明白了，square one就是從頭開始的意思。那上星期我寫論文忘了存盤，結果電腦死機全丟了，只好從頭再來，這種情況就可以說I was back at square one. 對不對？
LL: Yes, that’s right, Li Hua. Because you had to go back to the beginning and all of the earlier work was deleted, you had to go back to square one.
LH: 我手裡還有一篇論文要寫，但是還沒有下筆，能不能說I am only at square one?
LL: You can use “square one” that way, but usually people say, “back to square one.” This means that they did a lot of work, but it did not help them get any closer to their goal.
LH: 這麼說，我可不願意go back to square one.
LL: Exactly, I’m very frustrated that all of my work last night did not get me anywhere. Even though I was here all night, I’m back to square one.
LH: 這麼說，你的新市場營銷計劃如今又回到了起點，要從頭開始，你下一步打算怎樣辦？
LL: You know, to be honest, I am really not sure. I think maybe I need some sleep to help clear up my head.
LH: 我對你深表同情。不過我比你還慘。上星期論文都快打完了，結果沒存，I got sent back to square one. 更糟糕的是，第二天就要交。
LL: That does sound stressful, luckily I have still got a few weeks before this project is due, so I think that I am going to go home and get some sleep before starting again at square one.
LH: 你重新開始之前要不要一起吃點東西？
LL: That sounds great Li Hua, but first I need to get some rest. How about we meet here at noon, grab something to eat and then I get back to work?
LH: Sounds great!
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LH: Larry, 你一覺醒來，一定是精神飽滿，幹勁十足。
LL: Yes, I had a very good nap, and now I have a hankering for some Italian food.
LH: A hankering? 你是說你想吃意大利飯嗎？
LL: Exactly, Li Hua! To have a hankering, for something means that you want that thing. Usually someone would say they have a hankering for a type of food or drink.
LH: 意大利飯也有很多種啊，你想吃意大利面，比薩餅，還是肉醬千層面?
LL: You know, lasagna sounds really good to me, but what do you have a hankering for Li Hua? What are you in the mood to have for lunch?
LH: 我也說不清楚想吃什麼。要不吃個三明治，還是去吃中國飯？
LL: It doesn’t really sound like you have a hankering for anything in particular at all.
LH: 肚子餓的時候，當然是吃什麼都香。
LL: Maybe you should compare the types of food that you have a hankering for to decide what you want to eat.
LH: 一方面，我特別想吃辣的，可另一方面，我又怕麻煩。
LL: Either food that you choose is fine by me. Italian, Chinese, sandwiches…
LH: 現在聽起來，我好像又都不那麼想吃了。
LL: No? Then it looks like we are back at square one then.
LH: Yes, we are back at square one. 不過，我已經知道要吃什麼了。
LL: Well what do you want to have for lunch?
LH: Sushi! 快走吧，我已經在流口水了。
今天李華學了兩個常用語。一個是back to square one意思是回到起點。另一個是hankering，意思是特別想要。 (http://www.dajiyuan.com)
