| 释义 |
brass BrE /brɑːs/
NAmE /bræs/► SEE ALLbrass monkeysbrass monkey weatherbrass neck/nervethe brass ringget down to brass tacks(as) bold as brasswhere there’s muck there’s brass(the) top brass
●ˌbrass ˈmonkeys●ˌbrass ˈmonkey weather (BrE, slang) if you say that it is brass monkeys or brass monkey weather, you mean that it is very cold weather 天气极冷；天寒地冻◆Wear a hat — it’s brass monkeys out there!
戴上帽子吧，外面天寒地冻的！ ORIGIN The full expression is ‘cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey’, although this is not often used. It may refer to a brass rack called a monkey which was used to store cannonballs. When it was very cold, the brass contracted (= got smaller) and the balls fell off. 这个表达法的完整形式是 cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey，但不常用。monkey 指一种黄铜架，用于贮存炮弹，天气特别冷的时候，黄铜收缩，炮弹就会掉下来。●ˌbrass ˈneck/ˈnerve (BrE, informal) a combination of confidence and lack of respect 厚颜无耻；傲慢无礼◆I didn’t think she would have the brass neck to do that.
我以为她不会胆大妄为到敢做那种事。●the brass ˈring (NAmE, informal) the opportunity to be successful; success that you have worked hard to get 成功机遇；努力获取的成功◆The girls’ outdoor track team has grabbed the brass ring seven times.
这支女子室外田径队已经七次夺冠。 ORIGIN This comes from the custom of giving a free ride to anyone who managed to grab a large ring that was hung above the people riding on a merry-go-round at a fairground. 这个习语源于游乐场的一个惯例。孩子们只要抓住旋转木马上方挂着的大圆环，就可以免费乘坐一次。●get down to brass ˈtacks (informal) begin to discuss and deal with the really important practical details 讨论和处理实质性问题◆Let’s get down to brass tacks — how much will it all cost?
我们言归正传，总共要多少钱？●(as) bold as ˈbrass (BrE, informal) without seeming ashamed or embarrassed; very cheeky 厚颜无耻；放肆的◆He came up to me, bold as brass, and asked me for five pounds.他走到我跟前，厚着脸皮跟我要五英镑。●where there’s ˌmuck there’s ˈbrass (BrE, saying) used to say that sb has made a lot of money from an unpleasant or a dirty business activity 哪里活脏哪里有钱赚◆When they saw his enormous house and flash car they looked at each other, both thinking ‘Where there’s muck there’s brass.’他们两人看到他的巨宅和豪车，会意地互相看了一眼，心里想：“谁干脏活谁挣钱。” NOTE Muck is dirt or mud. Brass is an old-fashioned word for ‘money’. * muck 意为“污物”或“泥泞”。brass 是旧词，意为“钱”。 ●(the) ˌtop ˈbrass (BrE, informal) people with power and authority 上层人物；高级官员◆The top brass got a huge pay rise.高层官员的薪金都获大幅上涨。 OPP (the) rank and file NOTE Officers in the military wear brass (= a bright yellow metal) or gold badges to show their position. 军官佩带铜制（brass）或金制徽章以示他们的军衔。 |