讓外國人摸不着頭腦的12個美國短語(下)大綱
Behind the eight ball
處於困境中When Americans say they're "behind the eight ball," it means they're in a difficult position.
如果美國人說他們behind the eight ball，意思是他們處境困難。Dating to the 1930s, this Americanism refers to the game of pool. A player positioned behind the eight ball cannot hit it.
這個短語要追溯到20世紀30年代，在當時的美國英語中這是一個檯球術語。如果你的球在8號球后面，那選手就很難出擊。（因爲8號球提前落袋就算輸）
The cat's out of the bag
祕密泄露If "the cat's out of the bag," it means you've revealed a secret.
如果the cat's out of the bag（貓從袋子裏出來了），意思是你泄露了祕密。This idiom first appeared with its current meaning in a London book review from 1760. Upset about a spoiler alert, the reviewer wrote, "We could have wished that the author had not let the cat out of the bag."
這個習語首次以這個含義出現是在1760年的一篇倫敦書評中。當時因爲劇透而感到失望的評論家寫道：“我們多希望作者沒有劇透。”Table an item
擱置議題When Americans "table an item," they set it aside for consideration later.
當美國人table an item時，他們會將其擱置在一旁，以後再考慮。In British and Commonwealth English, this phrase has the opposite meaning. If you table something (i.e. a proposal) in countries such as the UK and Ireland, you're considering a decision rather than postponing it.
在英國和英聯邦國家的英語中，這個短語的意思則相反。如果你在英國和愛爾蘭等國家table一個議案，意思不是推遲，而是商討出一個決議。In the US, however, when a topic is "tabled," that typically means that it's postponed, or it will sit there on the metaphorical table until it can be discussed at a later date. To make things even more confusing, the phrase "on the table" in America could mean that something is up for discussion.
然而，在美國，如果一個議題被tabled，通常指這個議題被延後或擱置，以後再討論。更讓人困惑的是，on the table這個短語在美國的意思是“提到議程上”。
Jump on the bandwagon
隨大流When you "jump on the bandwagon," you're joining a popular activity or supporting a popular cause.
當你jump on the bandwagon時，你要參加一個流行的活動或支持一個熱門事業。In the 19th century, American showman and circus owner PT Barnum coined the term "bandwagon," which referred simply to the wagon that carried the circus band.
19世紀，美國演出團和馬戲團老闆P·T·巴納姆造了bandwagon這個詞，指的是馬戲團乘坐的四輪馬車。Noting that parades were an effective way to attract attention, politicians took a page from the circus workers' book and began incorporating bandwagons into their campaign strategies.
發現遊行是吸引注意力的有效方式後，政客們借鑑馬戲團的做法，開始把花車納入競選策略中。But it was Teddy Roosevelt who helped cement the figurative phrase in the American lexicon, when, in 1899, he referenced political bandwagons in a letter he wrote.
不過，確立這個短語在美國詞彙中比喻用法的是西奧多·羅斯福。1899年，他在一封信中提到了政治花車。Nosebleed section
最差的座位If you're sitting in the "nosebleed section," you're seated in the highest (and cheapest) seats of an arena or performance space.
如果你坐在nosebleed section（流鼻血的區域），你坐在場館或劇院中最高也是最便宜的座位上。This phrase refers to the fact that high altitudes can cause nosebleeds. In the UK, the highest seats at a theater are known as "the gods."
這一短語影射的事實是高緯度會讓人流鼻血。在英國，劇院中最高處的座位被稱作“神座”。Throw someone under the bus
出賣If someone "throws you under the bus," they're betraying you for their own advancement.
如果某人throws you under the bus（把你從公交車扔下去），意思是他們爲了自己的晉升而出賣你。This idiom might have evolved from a few British expressions from the 1970s, such as "fall under a bus" or "go under a bus."
這個習語可能源自20世紀70年代的幾個英式表達，比如fall under a bus或go under a bus（掉到公交車下）。
