1. straight from the shoulder 直截了当,一针见血
大约一百年前straight from the shoulder成为习惯用语,用来指直截了当、开诚布公的说话方式,而且这样说话是不顾虑是否会伤害对方感情的。例如:
Boy, Nancy is sure mad at me! I told her straight from the shoulder this man she wants to marry is no good and she’d be making a terrible mistake. Now she won’t even speak to me.
唉,Nancy一定生我的气了!我直截了当地对她说她想嫁的那人一无是处,她看错了人。现在,她连理都不理我了。
2. pull no punches 直言相告
有时拳击手会因为手骨受伤之类的原因不用力击拳,这就叫做pull the punches,但是通常拳击手在比赛时出拳一定会竭尽全力,那就是pull no punches。逐渐人们用pull no punches来比喻尽管忠言逆耳也毫无保留地说出实情。例如:
When I saw my brother Joe turning into an alcoholic, I pulled no punches -- I told him to think of his wife and kids, stop drinking and go out and find a job.
我看到我弟弟Joe成了个酒鬼,立刻毫不留情地正告他,要为妻子和孩子着想,让他立刻戒酒并出去找个工作。
3. lay it on the line 把话放到桌面上
Lay it on the line可能是这样,把一大笔赌注放在赌台上,孤注一掷,尽其所有地做最后较量,就叫做lay it on the line,现在也可以当作“最后通牒、摊派”的意思来用。例如:
I’m fed up with George -- he doesn’t do half as much work as the others. So I called him in and laid it on the line -- either he starts doing his work like anybody else or we fire him at the end of the month.
我可受够了George,他干的活还没旁人一半多。所以我叫他来跟他把话都说明白了,要不跟别人一样好好工作,要不就在月底走人。
4. let it all hang out 开诚布公,挑明
Hang是挂的意思,let it all hang out如果直译就是“把什么都挂出来。” 换句话说就是“把什么都挑明了。例如:
We agreed to forget our feelings and let it all hang out. Susan told me everything she didn’t like about me and I told her what annoyed me about her. You know, it really cleared the air for both of us.
我俩同意心平气和地把话都挑明了说。Susan说出了我所有那些让她看不顺眼的事情,而我也跟她讲了她会令我不快的做法。知道吗,这真的使我们之间的误会烟消云散了。