竭尽全力
To fight tooth and nail
Hello, this The English We Speak. I’m Feifei…
大家好，欢迎来到BBC《地道英语》，我是菲菲。
…and hello, I’m Rob.
大家好，我是罗伯。
You’re looking a bit angry, Rob.
罗伯，你看起来有点生气。
Yes, I am. I’m really angry.
是的，我确实很生气。
I’ve just heard some bad news.
我听说了一些不好的消息。
Oh no. What’s happened?
哦，不要。发生了什么？
It’s the cafe I go to.
是关于我常去的那家小餐馆。
They’ve decided to become a vegan cafe – no more meat.
他们决定改成一家素菜餐馆——不卖肉食了。
Where am I going to buy my bacon sandwich from now?!
那现在开始我去哪里买培根三明治呀？！
There could be worse things to get angry about.
这不是什么值得让人生气的事情吧。
Really? I don’t think so.
是吗？我可不这样认为。
I’m going to fight tooth and nail to get them to change their mind.
我要“fight tooth and nail”，让他们改变主意。
Ooo, that sounds painful – protesting with your teeth and nails.
哦，这听起来太疼了——你的牙齿和指甲都要抗议了。
Of course not, Feifei.
当然不是啦，菲菲。
When you fight tooth and nail for something, you use a lot of effort and determination to get something you want.
如果说你为某件事“fight tooth and nail”，意思是你竭尽全力，下定决心要做成你想做的事情。
You can also do it to stop something happening too.
你也可以这样做以阻止什么事情的发生。
But it’s an odd phrase, Rob.
但这是一个奇怪的短语，罗伯。
Yes, it’s a very old English phrase, and basically means to use everything you have available to get the outcome you want.
是的，这是一个非常古老的英语短语，实际上是指你用所有可以用的东西来达成你想要的结果。
Even your teeth and nails?!
甚至是你的牙齿和指甲？！
Well, let’s hear some examples of people fighting tooth and nail…
好吧，我们一起来听一听人们“fight tooth and nail”的例句吧。
We’re going to fight tooth and nail to stop them building a new motorway going right past our house.
我们要竭尽全力阻止他们把新的高速公路修的穿过我们的住所。
After fighting tooth and nail, I finally managed to get the pay rise I felt I deserved.
在尽我所能之后，我终于拿到了自认为值得的薪酬。
My football team needs to fight tooth and nail to stay in the top division. They have to win today’s match!
我的足球队要全力以赴留在顶级联赛，他们必须要赢得今天的比赛！
You’re listening to The English We Speak from BBC Learning English, and we’re talking about the phrase ‘to fight tooth and nail’,
你正在收听BBC《地道英语》节目，我们正在讨论短语“to fight tooth and nail”。
which means to use all your efforts and determination to get something you want or to stop something from happening.
它是指做事全力以赴，不遗余力，以得到你想要的，或者阻止某件事的发生。
And Rob, that’s what you’re going to do to stop your favourite cafe from serving vegan food?
罗伯，这就是你全力以赴要做的，阻止你最喜欢的餐馆只供应素食？
Not exactly – they can sell vegan food, but I want them to carry on selling bacon sandwiches – I love them.
也不全是——他们可以供应素食，但是我希望他们可以继续出售培根三明治——我超喜欢的。
That’s what I’m fighting tooth and nail for.
这是我竭尽全力要做的。
Yes I know. Well it can’t be a vegan cafe if it sells bacon.
是的，我知道了。不过如果它出售培根，那就不是素食餐馆了。
Right, well I’m going to organise a petition to get bacon back – do you want to sign it?
是的，我准备写一封请愿书让他们继续卖培根——你要签名吗？
No I don’t – but Rob, have you seen this leaflet I was given?
不，我不签——但是罗伯，你看到我收到的这张传单了吗？
It says ‘50 percent off all vegan food this week’.
上面说“这周素食全部五折”
And guess what? It’s at your favourite cafe.
你猜？就在你最喜欢的小餐馆。
50 percent discount you say – hmmm, maybe I should try some vegan food.
你说五折——嗯，或许我应该试一试素食。
Yes, try a beetroot hummus sandwich – far healthier and less fattening, Rob.
是的，尝一尝甜菜根鹰嘴豆泥三明治——更健康，热量也少，罗伯。
Thanks! I will. Bye.
谢谢！我会的。拜拜~
Goodbye.
拜拜~