1 to go all out[br] 大多数的人都很钦佩那些力量充沛﹑勇往直前的人。这种人为了达到目的而采取行动的时候毫不畏惧。在认定了目标以后,他们就会全力以赴。这种精神在英文里就是:to go all out。一本字典对 to go all out 的解释就是:以最大的决心和所有的力量去做一件事。[br] to go all out 这个俗语经常用在体育方面,例如:[br] our basketball team went all-out to win the championship game. but so did the other team, and they beat us by two points.[br] 我们的篮球队为了在比赛中获胜而全力以赴。可是,另外一个队也是这样,结果他们多得了两分而把我们打败了。[br] to go all out 虽然经常用在体育方面,可是这个俗语现在几乎已经成为哪儿都能用的词汇了。下面的一个例子是一位政治家在谈论即将举行的选举:[br] this time the other party is going all-out to win--they're spending twice as much money as we can on radio and tv commercials.[br] 这一次,跟我们对立的政党正在全力以赴地争取在选举中获胜,他们在电台和电视上做广告花的钱比我们能花的要多两倍。[br] 2 to go through hell or high water[br] to go though hell or high water 是指不管困难多大,危险多大,仍然勇往直前。这个俗语使人们脑海中出现某一个在必要的时候能够赴汤滔火的形像。[br] 例如:i love my friend john like a brother--i know he'd go through hell or high water for me.[br] 我对约翰就像对待自己的兄弟一样,我知道他会为我赴汤滔火的。这句话的意思也就是,约翰会尽一切可能来帮助他的。[br] 又如:that's a very close family--whatever happens to one of them, sickness, money trouble, anything, the rest of them come to help. they'd go through hell and high water for each other.[br] 这家人之间的关系非常密切。不管任何人发生什么事,无论是生病也好,缺钱花也好,或发生其它任何问题,每个人都会来帮忙的。不管家里谁有了困难,大家都会为他赴汤滔火。[br] 1、2 这两个习惯用语的含义有其相似的地方,都是竭尽全力的意思,但是 to go though hell or high water 要比 to go all out 的语气强烈得多。[br] 3 to go for broke[br] to go for broke 的意思就是一个人准备冒损失一切的危险来采取一项行动,也可以说是“孤注一掷”。体育运动员往往会遇到这种情况。[br] 例如:the biggest auto race of the year is ready to start. all the drivers are ready to go for broke and drive their cars until they fall apart.[br] 今年规模最大的一次汽车比赛快要开始了。所有参加比赛的驾驶员都准备竭尽全力地争取获胜,那怕担当一切风险,把汽车开得散了架子也在所不惜。[br] 又如,一个在打扑克牌的人,他拿了一手好牌,准备把他所有的赌注都压在这手牌上。他说:[br] okay, i'm going to go for broke and bet all the money i have on my cards. i don't see how anybody can beat what i'm looking at here in my hand.[br] 行啦,这回我得豁出去把我所有的钱都压在这付牌上。我就是不相信任何人能够打败我手上的这付牌。[br] 4 to go overboard[br] 拿到一付很好的牌而冒一些风险似乎还是有一定的道理。可是有些人在情绪激动或者发怒的时候往往会在没有充份估计形势的情况下,不顾后果地鲁莽从事。这在英文里就是 to go overboard。overboard 这个字的意思是从船上掉到水中,就像一个粗心大意的水手,专心致志地忙着工作,一不小心,手没抓紧就掉下水去了。to go overboard 作为一个习惯用语可以解释为在不顾自己安全的情况下就鲁莽地采取行动。[br] 例如,一个妻子在劝她的丈夫不要轻率地作出决定:[br] john, let's not go overboard and get a new car right now. with all the other expenses we have, we won't be able to make the monthly payments.[br] 约翰,我们最好现在不要匆忙地买新汽车。我们手上还有其他要付的帐,我们没有能力再每个月为新汽车付还借款。[br] to go overboard 也可以用在商业界。下面是一个股票商在对他的顾客提出一些劝告:[br] i wouldn't go overboard and buy a lot of stock in that company right now. i hear their profit is down from what it was last year.[br] 我现在决不会太轻率地大量买那个公司的股票。我听说他们今年的利润比去年的低了。