字神帝國英語天地

❉ 1. Pass the buck 推卸責任❉
We all know that buck is informal American English for a dollar. Indeed, it can also be used for an Australian dollar, a New Zealand dollar, a South African rand, and an Indian rupee – but none of those senses are related to pass the buck.
我們都知道buck是美元dollor非正式的美式表達。實際上，buck也可用於表達澳元，紐西蘭元，南非蘭特和印度盧布——但所有這些含義都和pass the buck 這個習語沒有聯繫。
This particular buck is‘an article placed as a reminder in front of a player whose turn it is to deal at poker' – which means passing it make much more sense. This item also gives us the phrase the buck stops here; both figurative phrases have moved far beyond their poker origins.
這裡的buck是特指“在紙牌遊戲中當輪到某人發牌時，放置在玩家面前作為提示的物品“，這樣傳遞這個物品便有了更多的含義。
引申出另一個短語：the buck stops here(責無旁貸);這兩個比喻意味的短語，其含義已經遠遠超出了撲克的起源。
Eg. David says the responsibility is Mr Smith's and it's no good trying to passthe buck.
大衛說責任在史密斯先生，企圖推脫責任是沒有用的。
　　
❉ 2. Turn over a new leaf 改過自新❉
It has nothing to do with foliage,but relates to another common use of leaf: one of the pages in a book. A similar derivation gives us to take a leaf out of someone's book, meaning‘imitate or emulate someone in a particular way’.
這個短語和葉子無關，而和leaf的另一個常見義有關：書中的一頁。類似的引申出”to take a leaf out of someone’s book“ 這個短語，意思是“模仿某人”。
Eg. He promised to turn over a new leaf and study harder.
他保證重新開始,更加努力地學習。
　　
❉ 3. Push the envelope 接近甚至超越限度❉
This envelope isn't the sort you'd put letters in.Push the envelope was originally aviation slang relating to graphs of aerodynamic performance and exceeding the set of limiting cobinations of speed and altitude.
這裡的”envelope”不是我們裝信的信封。“Push the envelope”最初是航空俚語，與空氣動力性能的圖表相關並且超過速度和高度的合併限制。
Eg. Test pilots try to push the envelope.
試飛員試圖把飛機開到極速.
　　
❉ 4. Ring the changes 以不同的方式做(或說)同一件事❉
This phrase has nothing to do with pen and paper. Instead, it came originally with allusion to bell-ringing and the different orders in which a peal of bells may be rung.
這個短語和筆紙毫無關係。它來源於鐘聲和敲鐘時不同的順序。
Eg. Ring the changes by adding spices, dried fruit or olives.
加點香料、乾果或橄欖以換換口味。
　　
❉ 5. Leave someone in the lurch 讓某人陷入困境❉
The word lurch in this phrase derives from the French lourche, which is the name of a game resembling backgammon.
“Lurch ”在這個短語中源於法語詞“lourche”，是一個很像西洋雙陸棋的一種遊戲的名稱。
Eg. You mustn't leave them in the lurch like that.
你不能讓他們處於現在這樣狼狽的狀態而不管。
　　
❉ 6. Lick into shape 塑造;使成型❉
In Medieval Europe, it was believed that bears’ young were born shapeless, and licking into shape refers to the alleged practice of bears licking their offspring into ursine form.
在中世紀的歐洲，人們認為熊生下來是沒有形狀的，“lick the shape”指的是熊將他們的後代舔成熊的形狀。
Eg. You'll have four months in which to lick the recruits into shape.
你有4個月的時間把這些新兵訓練出來。
　　
❉ 7. Flash in the pan 曇花一現❉
If you're thinking anything to do with cooking or panning for gold, then you're barking up the wrong tree: flash in the pan is with allusion to the priming of a firearm. The flash arises from an explosion of gunpowder within the pan, which was a part of the lock that held the priming in old types of gun
如果你想到的是烹飪或者淘金相關，那麼你便找錯了目標，flash in the pan與火槍的推進器有關。光亮由火藥盤內的火藥爆炸時產生，火藥盤是槍支保險栓的一部分，在老式槍支中用來完成推進。
Eg. People will be looking in to see how good we are now and whether our success has just been a flash in the pan.
人們會來看看我們現在有多成功，看看我們的成功是否只是曇花一現。
　　
❉ 8. Pull out all the stops 使出渾身解數;全力以赴❉
These stops are organ pipes of a particular tone and range of pitch and the handles which control them; by pulling all the stops out, you would create a louder, more elaborate sound.
這裡的stops(音栓)指的是管風琴的音調、音高範圍和控制這些因素的手柄，通過彈動所有的音栓，可以發出更大、更複雜的聲音。
Eg. You have to pull out all the stops.
你要把所有阻擋你的東西都給清掉!

文章來源：日常短語