Ask & Learn聞問(wèn)切英語(yǔ)口語(yǔ):Stare Death in the Face
讀者 Michelle 問(wèn):下面句子橫線部分是什么意思?
Se
ven years ago, Mr Chan was staring death in the face as he battled cirrhosis of the liver.
Staring something in the face 是一個(gè)非常生動(dòng)的意象,有時(shí)又說(shuō)成 staring something in the eye,意思是目光直視某人或某事,不作絲毫回避,也就是勇敢面對(duì)問(wèn)題的意思。句子中的陳先生與肝硬化搏斗,直視死亡,亳不畏懼。
提到 staring,我想起小孩玩的 staring contest,兩個(gè)人互望,誰(shuí)先眨眼、忍不住笑或把目光挪開(kāi)就算輸。這個(gè)游戲衍生了 blinkmanship 一字(blink就是眨眼),常見(jiàn)于競(jìng)選時(shí)期的新聞報(bào)道。兩個(gè)候選人各持己見(jiàn),互不妥協(xié),好像誰(shuí)讓步誰(shuí)就先眨眼一樣,這種死不認(rèn)輸?shù)墓α徒?blinkmanship 了。
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