我们讲的英语第215期:To keep a lid on it 保密

Li and Neil go for a coffee, but why do they have to keep a lid on it?
莉和尼尔去喝咖啡，但是他们为什么要隐瞒呢？

(sound of coffee cup being put on a table)
（咖啡杯放在桌子上的声音）

Li: Thanks for the coffee, Neil. What a good idea to present The English We Speak from a coffee shop!
莉：尼尔，谢谢你请我喝咖啡。在咖啡店里主持地道英语节目真是个好主意！

Neil: Yes, Li, it's good to get out of the studio — and anyway, I get the coffee for free here.
尼尔：是啊，莉，走出演播室真的很好——而且我在这里喝咖啡是免费的。

Li: You don't pay for it?! So why do you get it for free?
莉：你不用付账？！为什么你能免费喝咖啡？

Neil: (Sounding slightly vague) Contacts.
尼尔：（声音听起来有些模糊）我有熟人。

Li: Err… contacts?
莉：什么……熟人？

Neil: Yes, people I know. Don't tell anyone but my friend works here and… well… when the boss isn't around, he gives me the coffee for free.
尼尔：对，我在这里有认识的人。别告诉其他人我朋友在这里工作，老板不在的时候他会请我免费喝咖啡。

Li: (loudly and surprised) He gives it to you for free?
莉：（大声又惊讶）他让你免费喝咖啡？

Neil: Ssshhh! Keep your voice down. If he gets found out he'll get the sack — you know, lose his job. We need to keep a lid on it.
尼尔：嘘！小点声。如果他这么做被发现了会被辞退的，他会丢掉工作的。我们要隐瞒这件事。

Li: Keep a lid on it?! Why do we need to keep a lid on the coffee? Are we trying to hide it?
莉：在上面盖盖子？！我们为什么要在咖啡上盖盖子？我们要把它藏起来吗？

Neil: No Li. When you say keep a lid on something, it means keep it secret — or keep it quiet about it...
尼尔：不是，莉。我们说keep a lid on something的意思是要保密。

Li: Oh I see.
莉：哦，我明白了。

Neil: The phrase can also mean keep something strongly under control. Like your loud voice — control it and don't tell anyone! Keep a lid on it.
尼尔：这个短语也可以用来形容严格控制某事。比如你大声说话的声音，要控制音量，不要告诉别人！要保密。

Li: We had better hear some examples while I drink my coffee... quietly!
莉：在我安静地喝咖啡时，我们来听一些例句！

Examples
例句

We need to keep a lid on the company merger — if the newspapers get to hear about this, our share price will drop.
我们要对公司合并的消息保密，如果报社听说了这件事，我们的股份就会下跌。

Our baby is due in November but keep a lid on the news — we haven't told our parents yet.
我们的宝宝将于11月份出生，不过要保密，我们还没有告诉我们的父母。

Please — keep a lid on your emotions — otherwise the waiter is going to ask us to leave!
请控制一下你的情感，否则服务生会让我们离开的！

Li: So that is keeping a lid on something. (sips coffee) Mmm, this coffee does taste good but I don't like the idea that you got it for free — it's dishonest... I might have to tell someone about this dishonest behaviour.
莉：要对某件事保密。（喝咖啡）嗯，这咖啡很好喝，不过我不赞同你免费喝咖啡这件事，这是不诚实的行为……我可能会把你这种不诚实的行为告诉别人。

Neil: Ah! You mean you're going 'to lift the lid' on what I'm doing — that means to tell someone about something bad — well, you can but you know what that will mean?
尼尔：啊！你的意思是你要把我做的事情说出去，lift the lid的意思是把不好的事情告诉别人，你是可以这么做，可是你知道这意味着什么吗？

Li: What's that?
莉：什么？

Neil: You'll be buying the coffee next time — and it's not cheap!
尼尔：你下次来喝咖啡就要付钱了，而且这里的咖啡可不便宜！

Li: Oh right — let's just keep it our little secret for now shall we?
莉：哦，好吧，我们还是保守这个小秘密吧，好吗？

Neil: OK Li!
尼尔：好的，莉！

Both: Bye.
二人一起：再见。