VOA慢速英語(yǔ):詞匯掌故：觸壘

Words and Their Stories: Touch All Bases

詞匯掌故：觸壘

American English is full of colorful expressions. One such expression is to touch all bases. It comes from the sport of baseball.

美式英語(yǔ)中有很多豐富多彩的詞匯。其中一個(gè)詞匯源自棒球運(yùn)動(dòng)的to touch all bases(在棒球運(yùn)動(dòng)中，它的意思是“接觸到所有的壘墊，完成一次本壘打”，語(yǔ)義延伸為“談到有關(guān)的所有細(xì)節(jié)”。)

There are four bases in baseball -- first, second and third. The fourth is home plate. Together, the bases form a diamond shape. When a baseball player hits the ball, he must run to each base -- in order -- and touch it with his foot. It is the only way to score a point. If the player hits the ball and fails to touch all the bases, the point will not be counted.

棒球運(yùn)動(dòng)中設(shè)有四個(gè)壘位 -- 一壘，二壘和三壘，以及本壘。四個(gè)壘圍成一個(gè)菱形區(qū)域。球員擊球后，他必須依次跑遍每個(gè)壘位 -- 用腳觸壘，只有這樣才能得分。如果球員擊球后，未能觸壘成功，將不得分。

The importance of touching all the bases was shown at the start of the nineteen seventy-four baseball season.

觸壘的重要性在1974年棒球賽季剛開始的時(shí)候展示得淋漓盡致。

Hank Aaron was a player with the Atlanta Braves team. He was seeking the record for hitting the most home runs. A home run is a ball that is hit over the wall. Aaron needed just one home run to equal the record held by Babe Ruth, the greatest hitter in baseball history. Aaron got that home run the very first time he had a chance to hit the ball. He sent the ball over the wall that surrounded the playing field. That gave him seven hundred and fourteen home runs -- the same as Babe Ruth.

漢克·艾倫(Hank Aaron)是亞特蘭大勇士隊(duì)的球員。他一直希望創(chuàng)造本壘打(home run)的記錄。本壘打是指將球擊出外野護(hù)欄。艾倫只需再打出一個(gè)本壘打就能打破棒球歷史上最偉大的擊球手貝比·魯斯(Babe Ruth)創(chuàng)下的歷史記錄。艾倫第一次擊球就打出了本壘打，他將球打出了外野護(hù)欄。他打出了714個(gè)本壘打--與魯斯相同。

After that day, baseball fans held their breath every time it was Hank Aaron's turn to hit. When would he hit home run number seven hundred and fifteen?

從那以后，每次艾倫擊球的時(shí)候球迷們都屏住呼吸，他什么時(shí)候能打出715個(gè)本壘打呢?

The wait was not long. In the second week of the season, Aaron again hit the ball over the wall. He had beaten Babe Ruth's record. But first, he had to run around the four bases. The other players on his team watched carefully to make sure he touched each one. If he did not, the home run would not have counted. There would have been no new record.

這個(gè)期待并不漫長(zhǎng)。在該賽季的第二周，艾倫又一次把球擊過(guò)了外野護(hù)欄。他打破了魯斯的紀(jì)錄。但是，他首先必須圍著四壘跑一圈。其他球員都仔細(xì)觀察著他是否觸到每個(gè)壘。如果沒(méi)有，這次本壘打就不計(jì)分，也就不會(huì)有新紀(jì)錄產(chǎn)生了。

So, to touch all bases means to do what is necessary to complete an activity.

因此，to touch all bases意思就是去做完成一個(gè)活動(dòng)所必須的一切事情。

The expression is used in business and politics. No business deal or political campaign is really complete until you discuss all the issues involved. Or, as it is said, until you touch all bases.

這種詞匯也經(jīng)常用于商業(yè)和政治領(lǐng)域，除非探討清楚所有相關(guān)細(xì)節(jié)，否則任何一項(xiàng)商業(yè)交易或政治活動(dòng)都不真正完美。也就是說(shuō)直到你touch all bases(考慮到了每個(gè)細(xì)節(jié))。

Even professional diplomats use this expression, as well as others that come from baseball.

甚至職業(yè)的外交官也會(huì)使用這個(gè)以及其他源自棒球運(yùn)動(dòng)的詞匯。

A diplomat in reporting on negotiations with diplomats from different countries may say they "touched all bases" during many hours of talks. This means they explored all issues involved in the situation. Perhaps they did this after expressing hope that they could play ball with each other, meaning that they could learn to cooperate.

一位正在匯報(bào)與外國(guó)同行談判情況的外交官可能會(huì)說(shuō)，在數(shù)小時(shí)的談判中，他們討論到了每個(gè)細(xì)節(jié)(touched all bases)。這話的意思是，他們探討了該情況下可能牽涉到的所有問(wèn)題。或許在此之前，他們還表達(dá)了能夠彼此合作(play ball，美國(guó)口語(yǔ)，合作，協(xié)作，互相幫忙)的愿望。play ball的意思是他們能夠合作并互相幫忙。

Sports reporters write about fast-moving, lively events. They must develop a way of writing that goes straight to the point. Their duty is to give the reader a complete picture of the event in as few words as possible. They must touch all bases as quickly as they can.

體育記者要報(bào)道瞬息萬(wàn)變的現(xiàn)場(chǎng)賽事。他們必須形成一種直奔主題的寫作風(fēng)格。他們的職責(zé)是用盡可能少的詞語(yǔ)給讀者描繪一幅完整的比賽畫面，因此，他們必須盡可能快地touch all bases。