又中又英 | In a pickle | 褚簡寧
It is expensive to fight wars. That reality has started to sink in for US President Donald Trump. Numerous media reports have said the US is spending about US$1billion a day in its war with Iran. Official figures estimate the US spent at least US$11.3 billion in the first six days of the war. Trump knows he is in a pickle. That's why he has asked Congress to approve US$200 billion for the military. The expression "started to sink in" used this way means started to realize the unpleasant reality of a situation. To be in a pickle means to be in a difficult situation.
The media asked Trump during his recent White House meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi why he needed US$200 billion for the military. He told reporters US$200 billion is a small price to pay for the military to stay tippy top. The informal expression "tippy top" means the very top or the highest point of something. But asking Congress for US$200 billion to fund the war is a hard sell. The expression "hard sell" means someone, such as a salesman, trying very hard to persuade a customer to buy something.
Congressional members, including some belonging to Trump's Republican Party, are skeptical about approving such a huge amount of money which could prolong the war. Democratic Party legislators are furious Trump didn't get Congressional approval or even consult Congress before starting the war. The US Constitution states only Congress has the power to formally declare war. Trump will have to do a lot of hard selling to convince Congress to approve US$200 billion for the military.
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打仗需要很多錢。美國總統特朗普終於開始意識到（started to sink in）這個現實了。無數傳媒報道已直指，美國跟伊朗開戰，每天耗費約十億美元。官方數據估計，單單在戰爭的首6天，美國就花費了至少113億美元。特朗普知道自己深陷窘境（in a pickle），因此他已請求國會批出2000億美元撥款作軍事用途。習語"started to sink in"在這裏是指開始意會到某個處境中令人不快的現實。To be in a pickle是指在困境之中。
特朗普最近在白宮與日本首相高市早苗的會面期間，傳媒問他為何需要2000億美元軍費。他跟記者們說，2000億美元用來令美軍保持tippy top是很小的代價。非正式習語tippy top是指某事物的頂尖或最高點。然而，請求國會批出2000億美元資助戰事是太hard sell－－習語hard sell是指某人，例如一個銷售員，硬銷游說一名顧客去買某樣商品。
國會議員，包括一些跟特朗普一樣隸屬共和黨的，對於要批准這麼大筆金錢亦抱懷疑態度，因為這會延長了戰事。特朗普開戰前沒有得到國會批准，甚或諮詢國會，民主黨議員對此更是大發雷霆。美國憲法列明，只有國會才有權正式宣戰。特朗普要說服國會批出2000億美元作軍需，將有許多硬銷（hard selling）工夫要做了。
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Michael Chugani褚簡寧
中譯：七刻
