VOA慢速英语:Words and Their Stories: Boxing Expressions

The world of boxing gave us famous competitors like Muhammad Ali.
拳击运动给我们带来了Muhammad Ali等著名拳手。

It also gave us many expressions that we use in our everyday lives.
它还给我们带来很多表达，这些表达在如今的日常生活中仍在使用。

Years ago, a boxing match would begin when a boxer threw his hat into the boxing ring – the place where the fight was fought. That does not happen these days. But if you throw your hat into the ring it does mean that you are signing up or agreeing to do something. You will often hear this expression in the world of politics.
多年前，当拳击手将帽子扔到擂台时，比赛就开始了。现在不这么干了。但如果你 throw your hat into the ring ，意思就是你报名或同意做某事。在政坛中你就能经常听到这种表达。

"Is she running for mayor?"
“她要竞选市长？”

"She is. She threw her hat in the ring last week."
“是的，上周她已经宣布要竞选了。”

A boxing ring is surrounded on all four sides by ropes. A boxer trapped along the ropes gets hit a lot. So, to have someone on the ropes means to have them in a dangerous position.
擂台四周用绳子围起来，拳击手被困在绳子里意味着他挨了很多打。所以，to have someone on the ropes意思是使之处于危险境地。

During a fight, there are three people in the ring – two boxers and a referee. The referee makes sure the boxers obey the rules of the sport. He or she can cancel, or call off, a fight if things get too unsafe or risky for one of the boxers. And if a fighter is hit so hard that they fall down, the referee gives the person a count of 10 to get up.
在拳击比赛中，擂台上有三个人，其中两名拳手和一名裁判员。裁判员要确保拳手遵守比赛规则。如果情况对其中一名拳手来说过于危险，他（她）可以取消比赛。如果一名拳手被打到在地倒主裁判就会倒数十下（读秒）让他站起来。

If the fighter gets up, the boxing match continues. If the fighter does not, the match is over. So when you are down for the count you are not able to compete or not able to join in something. Here is an example:
如果拳手站了起来，那么比赛继续进行。如果拳手不站起来，比赛就结束了。所以如果你down for thecount(被彻底击倒)，你就无法角逐下去，或者无法参加某件事。这里有个例子
：
"Is George coming out tonight for drinks?"
“乔治今天晚上能出来喝两杯吗？”

"No, he's got a fever of 102. So, for tonight, he's down for the count."
“不会了，他高烧到华氏102度了，所以今晚没法来了。”

To go the distance is the opposite. It means a boxer was able to stay in the ring and not withdraw from the fight. Outside of the boxing ring, it means to see something through to its end.
与此相反的是赛完全局（To go the distance）。它的意思是拳手能够留在擂台上，不撤出拳击比赛。Outside of the boxing ring意思就是从头看到尾。

If you do decide to leave your job, you throw in the towel. This expression comes from the fact that trainers can stop a match for their boxer by throwing a towel into the ring.
如果你决定离职，那就是说你throw in the towel(认输)了，这个表达来自这样的事实，即教练往擂台上扔一条毛巾来停止拳手的决斗。

So it is good to have someone in your corner, a person looking out for you. That is where a boxer's team stands during the end of each round – in his or her corner. And yes, women's boxing is becoming more and more popular in the United States.
所以最好 to have someone in your corner，这个人会为你着想。在每个回合结束时，拳手的团队就站在他（她）的角落。是的，女性拳击在美国也愈发流行。

A professional boxing match is made up of 12 periods, called rounds. At the end of each round a bell sounds. To be saved by the bell means you were saved from a bad situation by something – not necessarily a bell.
专业拳击比赛有12个回合，每个回合结束时铃声都会响起。To be saved by the bell意思是你被救出困境，不一定是铃声。

But let us imagine that you are a student in class. The teacher starts passing out a test. You get nervous because you forgot to study. Suddenly the bell rings, ending the class period. In this case, you were, quite literally, saved by the bell.
让我们设想下你是坐在教室里的学生，老师开始分发测试题。你感到紧张，因为你忘记学习了。突然铃声响起，下课了。这种情况下，照字面意思来说，就是铃声救了你。