又中又英——Front and centre
Michael Chugani 褚简宁
2021-06-24 04:17 HKT
字體大小
Democracy was front and centre (center in American English) during the recent meeting by the Group of Seven (G7) wealthy democracies. There are several ways to use the expression "front and centre". It can be someone or something that is easy to notice or see. You can say a handsome man or beautiful woman was front and centre at the party. But it can also mean of the greatest importance. Democracy was front and centre at the G7 leaders'meeting because it was the most important issue discussed. US President Joe Biden made it a front and centre topic at the Cornwall meeting hosted by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Biden used the expression "step up" to stress that free societies must protect democracy. This was what he said: "How we act and whether we pull together as democracies is going to determine whether our grandkids look back 15 years from now and say, 'Did they step up? Are democracies as relevant and powerful as they have been?'" The expression "step up" used this way means to take action when necessary or doing something that is very important. What Biden meant was democracy's future will be decided by what leaders do now. If democratic leaders do nothing or do not "step up", their grandchildren will ask if democracy is as important as it is now.
In the game of baseball "step up to the plate" has a somewhat different meaning. The word "plate" in the game means a five-sided flat white rubber stuck to the ground. It is called the home base. When it's a player's turn to bat, the player must "step up to the plate" by standing next to it to hit the ball thrown by the pitcher. The pitcher is the player with the opposing team who throws or "pitches" the ball to see if the batsman can hit it. Pitchers are skilled at pitching fast or curve balls to make it difficult for the batsman to hit them.
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七大工业国组织（G7）由发达民主国家组成，在最近的高峰会上，民主是front and centre（美式英语串法为center）的议题。习语 "front and centre" 可以有几种用法，它可解作最显眼、很容易看得见的人或事物；你可以说，一位英俊的男士或漂亮的女子，在派对中就是front and centre，会吸引全场的目光。但此习语也可以解作最为重要的。「民主」在 G7领袖高峰会上是front and centre，因为它是最重要的讨论议题。由英国首相约翰逊主持的康沃尔会议上，美国总统拜登就将民主定为举足轻重（front and centre）的议题。
拜登用了一个习语 "step up"，去强调自由的社会必须捍衞民主。他是这样说的：「我们今天如何行动，可有从民主国家的本位出发而同心协力，将决定了我们的儿孙十五年后回望时说：『他们可有step up? 这些民主国家可有像从前一样，切合民主的样式且仍具影响力?』」习语 "step up" 在这里是指在有需要的时候挺身而出，采取行动，或去做某些非常重要的事情。拜登这番话的意思是，民主的未来取决于这些领袖现在怎样行事。若民主领袖甚么也不做，又或说不去 "step up"、挺身而出，那他们的儿孙就会问，民主是否像今天的那么重要？
在棒球赛事中，"step up to the plate" 却有不一样的意思。在棒球赛中，"plate" 是指一块贴在地面上的五边形白色橡胶板，它叫本垒板。当轮到一位球员击球时，那位球员就必须 "step up to the plate"，就是站于本垒板旁击打pitcher投出的球。The pitcher就是敌对球队负责投球（pitches）的投球手，看看击球手能否击中发球。投球手（pitchers）都是精于投掷快速或曲线的球，令击球手难于击中投球。
[email protected]
中译：七刻
Michael Chugani 褚简宁
Biden used the expression "step up" to stress that free societies must protect democracy. This was what he said: "How we act and whether we pull together as democracies is going to determine whether our grandkids look back 15 years from now and say, 'Did they step up? Are democracies as relevant and powerful as they have been?'" The expression "step up" used this way means to take action when necessary or doing something that is very important. What Biden meant was democracy's future will be decided by what leaders do now. If democratic leaders do nothing or do not "step up", their grandchildren will ask if democracy is as important as it is now.
In the game of baseball "step up to the plate" has a somewhat different meaning. The word "plate" in the game means a five-sided flat white rubber stuck to the ground. It is called the home base. When it's a player's turn to bat, the player must "step up to the plate" by standing next to it to hit the ball thrown by the pitcher. The pitcher is the player with the opposing team who throws or "pitches" the ball to see if the batsman can hit it. Pitchers are skilled at pitching fast or curve balls to make it difficult for the batsman to hit them.
＊＊＊＊＊
七大工业国组织（G7）由发达民主国家组成，在最近的高峰会上，民主是front and centre（美式英语串法为center）的议题。习语 "front and centre" 可以有几种用法，它可解作最显眼、很容易看得见的人或事物；你可以说，一位英俊的男士或漂亮的女子，在派对中就是front and centre，会吸引全场的目光。但此习语也可以解作最为重要的。「民主」在 G7领袖高峰会上是front and centre，因为它是最重要的讨论议题。由英国首相约翰逊主持的康沃尔会议上，美国总统拜登就将民主定为举足轻重（front and centre）的议题。
拜登用了一个习语 "step up"，去强调自由的社会必须捍衞民主。他是这样说的：「我们今天如何行动，可有从民主国家的本位出发而同心协力，将决定了我们的儿孙十五年后回望时说：『他们可有step up? 这些民主国家可有像从前一样，切合民主的样式且仍具影响力?』」习语 "step up" 在这里是指在有需要的时候挺身而出，采取行动，或去做某些非常重要的事情。拜登这番话的意思是，民主的未来取决于这些领袖现在怎样行事。若民主领袖甚么也不做，又或说不去 "step up"、挺身而出，那他们的儿孙就会问，民主是否像今天的那么重要？
在棒球赛事中，"step up to the plate" 却有不一样的意思。在棒球赛中，"plate" 是指一块贴在地面上的五边形白色橡胶板，它叫本垒板。当轮到一位球员击球时，那位球员就必须 "step up to the plate"，就是站于本垒板旁击打pitcher投出的球。The pitcher就是敌对球队负责投球（pitches）的投球手，看看击球手能否击中发球。投球手（pitchers）都是精于投掷快速或曲线的球，令击球手难于击中投球。
[email protected]
中译：七刻
Michael Chugani 褚简宁
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