分類: 英語成語園地-其他篇

離正確或成功只差一步。

註：這成語及其後來衍生的變體 (variant) "nice try, but no cigar" 皆起源於 20 世紀中期的美國，當時遊樂場或市集的攤位設置遊戲讓顧客玩並以雪茄做為獎品，如類似現今的套圈圈，當顧客差點套中時，攤位老闆或服務人員往往會說 "close, but no cigar" (差一點，但還拿不到雪茄)。日常生活中讓別人猜某個數字或某件事，當他們猜得很接近時，也可用這成語，相當實用也很傳神。

Close, but no cigar 於 1935 年才首次出現在出版品，但自大約 1949 年起，美國報紙即廣泛使用這成語，包括用它來表示「千鈞一髮」(close call) 的意思。

• A: Guess who I took for dinner last night. (猜猜我昨晚帶誰共進晚餐)
  B: My sister? (我妹？)
  A: Close, but no cigar. (很接近了)
  B: Who then? (到底是誰？)
  A: Your wife. (你太太)
• Amy: How did you do in the contest? (你的比賽怎麼樣？)
  Paul: Close, but no cigar. I got second place. (差一點就是冠軍。我得到第二名)

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冒昧地 (做某事)；擅自 (做某事)。

註：這成語通常用過去式且大多用於正式場合，如常見於書信中。

• I took the liberty of telling Mary that her husband had borrowed five thousand dollars from me. (我冒昧地告訴瑪麗她先生向我借五千塊的事)
• I took the liberty of asking an old friend of mine to join us for dinner. (我擅自邀請了一位老朋友和我們共進晚餐)

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事情 (或情節) 變得更曲折離奇。

• The police assumed that the woman was murdered by her ex-husband, but he has an alibi. The plot thickens. (警方認為該女子是被她前夫所殺，但他有不在場證明。案情變得更加曲折離奇了)
• Jack is supposed to be going out with Cindy, but I saw him last night with Amy. The plot thickens. (傑克應該跟辛蒂約會才對，但我昨晚看見他跟艾美在一起。事情變得更有趣了)

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放任某人讓其自取滅亡 (字面意思為「給某人足夠的繩子，他們就會上吊」)。

例句：

• I let Kevin speak on, knowing that he would offend CEO, and gave him just enough rope. (我讓凱文繼續說下去，就讓他自取滅亡，因為我知道他會冒犯執行長)
• Frank's plans are totally impractical. Give him enough rope and he'll ruin his own reputation. (法蘭克的計畫完全不切實際。任由他去亂搞，就會使他自己名譽掃地)

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故意拖延；待機行事。

例句：

• The Ministry of National Defense has played a waiting game on the murder investigation. (國防部對這起殺人案的調查一直採取拖延戰術)
• Those investors who are willing to play the waiting game may find it to their advantage. (那些願意待機行事的投資人可能發現這對他們有利)

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使人 (指觀眾、聽眾) 捧腹大笑，笑得人仰馬翻。

例句：

• I have the best jokes. I'll have them rolling in the aisles. (我有最棒的笑話。我會讓他們捧腹大笑)
• What a great performance! It had us rolling in the aisles. (好棒的表演啊！它使我們笑得人仰馬翻)

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救苦救難的大好人。

註：這成語大多出自女性之口，而她們口中的大好人通常是男性。

例句：

• Cindy is looking for a knight in shining armor who can save her from her boring life. (辛蒂正在尋找一位可以使她擺脫無聊生活的大好人)
• Woman: My bag was stolen! (女子：我的包包被偷了！)
  Knight in shining armor: Let me chase him down for you! (大好人：我幫妳去追捕他吧！)
  Woman: Thanks, you're like my knight in shining armor. (女子：謝謝，你像是救苦救難的大好人)

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令人耳目一新的人事物。

例句：

• Brenda was a talented and beautiful entertainer, a breath of fresh air in an industry full of people all trying to copy each other. (布琳達是個有天賦又美麗的藝人，在一個充滿相互抄襲、模仿之輩的行業令人耳目一新)
• In the wake of all the criticism, Raymond's positive comments came as a breath of fresh air. (繼所有人不是批評就是責難之後，雷蒙的正面談話令人耳目一新)

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