barrel /ˈbærəl/► SEE ALL(get/have sb) over a barrelbe like taking candy from a babya barrel/bundle of laughslock, stock and barrelscrape (the bottom of) the barrel ●(get/have sb) over a ˈbarrel (informal) (put/have sb) in a position where they are forced to do what you want（使）在威逼下，处于被动地位，听从摆布◆She has us over a barrel — if we don’t pay her, we’ll lose everything. 她让我们别无选择。要是我们不付给她钱，就什么都没了。ORIGIN This may refer to a person who has been saved from drowning and is held over a barrel(= a large round container) in order to empty their lungs of water.这个习语或许源于将快溺水的人救起后放在 barrel （桶）上让其把水从肺里吐出来的做法。●be like taking ˌcandy from a ˈbaby ( be like shooting ˌfish in a ˈbarrel) used to emphasize how easy it is to do sth（用于强调）极为简单，唾手可得，犹如探囊取物，犹如瓮中捉鳖◆I thought it was going to be difficult to get funding for the project, but in the end it was like taking candy from a baby.我原以为为项目筹集资金会很困难，没想到这么容易，犹如囊中取物。◆What do you mean you can’t do it? It’ll be like shooting fish in a barrel!你说做不了是什么意思？这不过是举手之劳而已！●a barrel/bundle of ˈlaughs (informal, oftenironic) very amusing; a lot of fun非常有趣的事◆Life hasn’t exactly been a barrel of laughs lately.最近，生活不再只是轻松有趣。●ˌlock, stock and ˈbarrelincluding everything; completely全部；完全地◆They were all emigrating so they were selling everything they had, lock, stock and barrel.他们都将移居外国，正在变卖所有的财产。NOTE The lock, stock and barrel are the three main parts of a rifle. * lock （枪机）、stock （枪托）和 barrel （枪管）是步枪的三个主要部件。●scrape (the bottom of) the ˈbarrel (disapproving) use things or people of a low quality because all the good ones have already been used（因别无选择而）将就，凑合，降格◆TV is terrible at the moment, it’s nothing but old movies. They’re really scraping the barrel, aren’t they?这一阵子电视节目很糟糕，除了老片子再没什么了。他们真是在应付，是不是？