绝望的主妇第一季第六集学习专栏
S01E06 Part01练习素材及答案：
Lose ground to someone：it means to fall behind in a competition or struggle against someone else, typically because they are making more progress, becoming stronger, or gaining an advantage. （在与他人的竞争或斗争中落后，通常是因为他们取得了更多进展、变得更强大或获得了优势。）
1、尽管公司尽力保持领先地位，但他们开始失去优势于主要竞争对手，对手凭借一条新的创新产品线垄断了市场。
Despite their best efforts to stay ahead of the curve, the company began to lose ground to its main competitor, who cornered the market with a new, innovative product line.
2、球队开始失去对那些凭借更佳战术和新鲜视角取得进展的对手的优势。为了解决这一情况，他们不得不整顿状态并提升表现。
The team started to lose ground to their adversaries who were making strides with superior tactics and a fresh outlook. To address the situation, they had to get their act together and ramp up their performance.
3、曾经占据主导地位的政治人物发现其越来越失去对一位新兴对手的优势，对手正借助公众支持的浪潮并以大胆的新政策有效地引起波澜。这种变化需要他们进行战略性全面改革，并加倍努力以在关键辩论前重新获得优势。
The once-dominant political figure found themselves increasingly losing ground to an upstart opponent who was riding a wave of public support and effectively making waves with bold new policies. This shift necessitated a strategic overhaul and doubling down on efforts to regain the upper hand before the critical debate.
Cut back on something：it means to reduce the amount, number, or extent of something, usually to save resources, time, or money. （减少某事物的数量、数量或范围，通常是为了节省资源、时间或金钱。）
1、认识到减少奢侈开销的必要性，乔纳森开始量入为出，有意识地精简他的奢华生活方式，拥抱更节俭的心态。
Realizing the need to cut back on luxury spending, Jonathan began to live within his means, making a conscious decision to pare down his extravagant lifestyle and embrace a more frugal mindset.
2、为了减少碳排放（碳足迹），社区决定停止过度使用能源，调低供暖，并转向可再生能源，希望为其他人树立一个好榜样。
To cut back on their carbon footprint, the community decided to pull the plug on excessive energy use, dial down the heating, and shift gears towards renewable energy sources, hoping to set a good example for others.
3、随着项目的推进，团队不得不减少不必要的会议以保持对截止日期的掌控。他们选择集中精力在关键任务上，并简化沟通。
As the project progressed, the team had to cut back on unnecessary meetings to stay on top of their deadlines. They chose to zero in on critical tasks and streamline communication.
Play/keep something close to the vest：it means to be secretive or discreet about one’s plans, intentions, or feelings, often to maintain a strategic advantage or avoid revealing too much information. （该短语的意思是：对自己的计划、意图或感受保密或谨慎，通常是为了保持战略优势或避免透露太多信息。）
1、虽然詹姆斯以他外向的性格而闻名，但在商业交易上，他总是守口如瓶，小心翼翼不泄露秘密或过早暴露意图。
Although James was known for his gregarious [ɡrɪ’ɡeəriəs（外向的、爱社交的）] nature, when it came to business deals, he was playing his cards close to the vest, making sure not to spill the beans or tip his hand too soon.
2、通过在谈判中谨慎行事，托马斯避免了过早暴露自己的意图，这让对手很难看透他；相反，他还做到了迷惑他们妄下结论。
By playing it close to the vest in the negotiations, Thomas avoided showing his hand too early, making it difficult for his opponents to get a read on him; instead, he let them jump to conclusions.
3、桑德拉总是对她的下一步职业动向守口如瓶，让大家提心吊胆；同事们从不知道她是否会用她那出人意料的决定让他们措手不及。
Sandra always playing her cards close to the vest about her next career move, managed to keep everyone on their toes; her colleagues never quite knew if she would pull the rug out from under them with her surprising decisions.
今日引语推荐（ The painted veil）
“Beauty is an illusion, a veil that masks the true nature of life. It’s when this veil is lifted, revealing the raw, unfiltered reality beneath, that we see the world in its truest form. It is then we understand that what we sought in beauty was only a reflection of our desires, not the truth of what is. Only by embracing this stark reality do we begin to live genuinely, to appreciate the simplicity and complexity of life in equal measure.”
“美是幻象，是掩盖生活真实本质的面纱。当这面纱被揭开，露出下面未经过滤的原始现实时，我们才能看到世界最真实的样子。我们才明白，我们在美中追寻的，只不过是我们欲望的反映，而不是事物的真相。只有接受这严酷的现实，我们才开始真正地生活，平等地欣赏生活的简单与复杂。”
“Sometimes the greatest journey is the distance between two people. It is in that journey, filled with misunderstandings, assumptions, and the silence that breeds doubt, where we discover the essence of connection. As we navigate this uncharted terrain [tə’reɪn], we learn that the space between us is not meant to be an abyss, but a bridge—one built on trust, understanding, and forgiveness. It is not the miles that matter, but the steps we take to close the gap. ”
“有时候，最伟大的旅程是人与人之间的距离。正是在这段旅程中，充满了误解、假设和滋生怀疑的沉默，我们才发现了联系的本质。当我们航行在这片未知的地带时，我们学会了人与人之间的空间不应该是鸿沟，而是桥梁——建立在信任、理解和宽恕之上的桥梁。重要的不是距离，而是我们为缩小差距所迈出的步伐。”
