fire /ˈfaɪə(r)/► SEE ALLbe/come under firefire questions, insults, etc. at sbhold your fireon fireplay with fireset sth on fireadd fuel to the fire/flamesa baptism of firethe fat is in the firefight fire with fireout of the frying pan (and) into the firehang fireget on like a house on firehave many, etc. irons in the fireopen fire (on sb/sth)there’s no smoke without firenot/never set the world on fire ●be/come under ˈfire1.be shot at遭火力攻击◆While defending the town we came under fire again last night. 昨晚保卫城市时，我们再次遭炮火袭击。2.be criticized, insulted, etc.受到批评（或侮辱等）◆The government is already under fire over its housing policy. 政府因为其住房政策而受到批评。●fire ˈquestions, ˈinsults, etc. at sbask sb a lot of questions one after another or make a lot of comments very quickly连珠炮般地发问（或辱骂某人等）◆The room was full of journalists, all firing questions at them. 满屋都是记者，连珠炮般向他们发问。●hold your ˈfire1.delay or stop shooting for a while暂不开火；暂不行动◆Hold your fire! I think they’re going to surrender. 先别开枪！我想他们要投降了。OPPopen fire (on sb/sth)2.stop attacking sb停止攻击◆She told the journalists to hold their fire. If they didn’t listen to her, how would they know what she thought? 她让记者们停止攻击自己，要是连话都不让她说，怎么知道她是怎么想的呢？●on ˈfiregiving you a painful burning feeling像火烧一般；火辣辣◆He couldn’t breathe. His chest was on fire. 他没法呼吸，胸口火烧火燎地疼。●play with ˈfiretake unnecessary and dangerous risks玩火；冒不必要的危险◆Be very careful, Mike. You’re playing with fire. 小心点，迈克，你这是在玩火。◆If you ask me she’s playing with fire, getting involved with a married man. 照我说，她与有妇之夫来往真是在玩火。●set sth on ˈfire1. ( set ˈfire to sth) make sth start burning because you want to destroy or damage it（为破坏某物而）点燃，纵火◆Three youths were accused of setting the house on fire. 三名青年被指控纵火焚烧那所房子。◆Demonstrators had set fire to vehicles and equipment. 示威人群点着了车辆和设备。2.make sb/sth very interested or excited引起…的极大兴趣；点燃…的激情◆Her new book has really set the literary critics on fire. 她的新书确实引发了文学评论界的热烈讨论。●add ˌfuel to the ˈfire/ˈflamesdo or say sth which makes a difficult situation worse, or makes sb even more angry, etc.火上浇油◆She was already furious and his apologies and excuses only added fuel to the flames.她本来就怒不可遏，他的道歉和解释只能是火上浇油。OPPpour oil on troubled water(s)●a ˌbaptism of ˈfirean unpleasant or a frightening first experience of sth火的洗礼；初次的不愉快（或令人恐惧的）经历◆Her first day in the job was a real baptism of fire because she had to deal with a very difficult case immediately.工作的第一天她就经受了一场严峻的考验，因为她得立即处理一件非常棘手的事情。●the fat is in the ˈfire (informal) something has been said or done that is certain to cause anger, fighting, offended feelings or other trouble糟了；惹麻烦了；闯祸了◆The fat’s in the fire now. Jim has just told his wife that he has taken a job in another town without mentioning it to her first.这下可要惹麻烦了，吉姆刚告诉妻子他已经在另一座城市找到工作，但事先却没跟她提过。●fight ˌfire with ˈfireuse similar methods in a fight or an argument to those your opponent is using以其人之道还治其人之身；以牙还牙◆The only way we can win this match is to fight fire with fire.我们要赢得这场比赛，唯一的办法就是以其人之道还治其人之身。●out of the ˈfrying pan (and) into the ˈfire (saying) out of one situation of danger or difficulty into another (usually worse) one刚出油锅，又落火坑；才脱龙潭，又入虎穴◆It was a case of out of the frying pan into the fire: she divorced her husband, who was an alcoholic, and then married another man with the same problem.这真是刚出油锅又落火坑：她跟她的酒鬼丈夫离了婚，接着嫁的男人还是个酒徒。●hang ˈfiredelay or be delayed延迟；被拖延◆We’ll have to hang fire on that decision, I’m afraid.恐怕我们得推迟作决定。ORIGINThis phrase refers to a gun which does not fire immediately.这个短语原指枪不能立即射击。●get on like a ˈhouse on fire (BrE) (NAmEget along like a ˈhouse on fire) (informal) quickly develop a very friendly relationship with sb很快就打得火热；一见如故◆I was worried about introducing my boyfriend to my parents, but they got on like a house on fire.把男朋友介绍给父母时我很担心，但他们却是一见如故。●have many, etc. irons in the ˈfirehave many, etc. different plans, projects, etc. at the same time, often with the hope that at least one will be successful同时有许多计划（期望至少有一个成功）◆She’s still got several irons in the fire: her television work, her film work and her writing.她仍有好几件事同时要做：电视台的工作，拍电影，还有写作。ORIGINThis idiom refers to blacksmiths (= people whose job it is to make and repair things made of iron), who have several pieces of iron in the fire at a time, so that there is always one piece that is hot enough to work with.这个习语原指铁匠通常会在火里放好几块铁，这样总会有一块已烧红，可以锻打。●open ˈfire (on sb/sth)start shooting (at sb/sth)（向…）开火，开枪◆The officer gave the order to open fire on the enemy.指挥官下令向敌人开火。OPPhold your fire●there’s no ˌsmoke without ˈfire (BrE) (NAmEwhere there’s smoke, there’s ˈfire) (saying) if a lot of people are saying that sth bad is happening, it must be partly true无火不生烟；凡事皆有起因◆Although he had been found not guilty in court, people are saying that there’s no smoke without fire.尽管法庭宣判他无罪，可人们还是说无风不起浪。●not/never set the ˈworld on fire (BrE alsonot/never set the ˈThames on fire) (informal) never do anything exciting, unusual or wonderful不会做出惊人之举；不会引起轰动；不会成大器◆He’s good, but he’ll never set the world on fire. He’s not dynamic enough.他还不错，不过决不会做出惊人之举。他魄力不足。NOTE The Thames is the large river that runs through London.泰晤士河是流经伦敦的一条大河。