Michael Chugani 褚简宁 - to rise to the occasion.｜又中又英

US President Joe Biden’s approval rating is tanking. The word “tank” has several meanings. It can mean a large and enclosed military combat vehicle or a container that holds liquid such as water or fuel. But when used as a verb it is a slang word for something that is failing or declining rapidly. If you buy a stock and its value declines rapidly you can say the value of your new stock has tanked. Biden’s popularity is declining or tanking quickly. Most Democrats do not want him to seek re-election in 2024 when he completes his first four-year term as president. Many Americans, not just Democrats, feel he is not doing enough to control inflation, high gas (petrol in British English) prices, and gun violence.

Some Democrats have urged Biden to “meet the moment”. To meet the moment means to do what is needed during a particular situation so problems can be solved. If everyone in a society wears a facemask and gets vaccinated during a severe coronavirus pandemic, you can say they are all meeting the moment. A similar expression is “rise to the occasion”. To rise to the occasion means to make a special effort to successfully deal with a difficult situation or to show that you can deal with a difficult situation successfully. Critics of Joe Biden say he is not rising to the occasion or meeting the moment.

Even his supporters say he is not meeting the moment. A US government report last week showed consumer prices in June rose 9.1 percent compared to June of last year. Gas and food prices are now so high that many low-income families are finding it much harder to afford these necessities. There will be elections in November for the Congress, state governors, and local officials. Democrats fear they will lose control of the Congress if Biden doesn’t meet the moment by doing more to control inflation and high gas prices.
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美国总统拜登的支持率正在tanking。Tank一字有几个意思，它可以指坦克，即巨型的封闭式军事战车，又或指用作储存水或燃油等液体的容器；但作动词用时，它则是俚语，意指某事物遭受重创或急速衰退。若你买了一只股票，其价格急速下跌，你便可以说你那张新股票的价值has tanked。拜登的民望正在急速下跌（tanking）。大部份民主党人都不想他在二〇二四年完成第一个四年总统任期时竞逐连任。不止是民主党人，许多美国人也认为他在控制通胀、汽油（gas，英式英语是petrol）价格高企以及枪械暴力方面做得不够。

一些民主党党员力促拜登去“meet the moment”——to meet the moment是指顺势而为，在特定情况下去做需要做的事，以解决问题。若在新冠疫情严峻时期，人人都戴上口罩和注射疫苗，你便可以说they are all meeting the moment。相似的习语是“rise to the occasion”——to rise to the occasion是指主动站出来，付出加倍的努力而成功应对了一个困难的局面，又或显示出你有随机应变的能力，对于危机能应付自如。批评拜登的人说，他并未应对好困难的局面（rising to the occasion），没有顺势而为去解决问题（meeting the moment）。

就连他的支持者也说，他没有顺势而为，做该做的事（meeting the moment）。美国上星期一个政府报告显示，六月的消费者物价指数，相比上年六月升了百分之九点一。现时汽油（gas）和食物价格高昂得很，许多低收入家庭要负担这些生活必需品时，都感到愈来愈吃力。十一月将会举行国会、州长以及地区官员的选举。民主党人担心，要是拜登还不meet the moment，好好把握时机努力控制通胀和高油（gas）价，他们将会失去国会的控制权。
中译：七刻
Michael Chugani 褚简宁