名人教你讲英文：从日本政治困局学英语

名人教英文：从日本政治困局学英语

《经济学人》文章指日本菅直人政府在灾后阵脚大乱，饱受政敌抨击。他所领导的民主党在4月初的地方选举因此而失利：

on april 10th the dpj's （民主党） troubles took their toll in regional and local elections. the party lost all three of its races for prefectural governorships to the ldp（自民党）.

take a/ its/ their toll解作“重创”、“造成损害”，上述例子就是说民主党的问题在选举中（对该党）造成负面影响。这个用语通常配on somebody or something，例如：strauss-kahn's sex scandal will take its toll on the french socialist party in next year's french presidential election.

the drubbing has emboldened ldp politicians to resist more collaboration... a semblance of political co-operation may last only until a second round of local elections on april 24th. it leaves just enough time to pass the first of many proposed disaster-relief bills... later bills will be the source of fresh squabbles.