6 BEAT: （反复地）打，击；碰撞，撞击；发出；踏出，开辟；抢先；避 免，逃避

词组讲解

1. beat a dead horse ** 做徒劳无益的事；白费力气

解 习语；词义溯源：打“死马”，引申为做徒劳之事

例 Look, you're beating a dead horse. This issue was settled in last night's meeting.

2. beat a path to one's door ** 拜访者络绎不绝，门庭若市

解 习语；词义溯源：某人的家门前已经被踏出了一条［路（path）］

例 Tom thinks he is so famous now that agents will be beating a path to his door to get a contract with him.

3. beat a retreat ** 逃避，退却

解 习语；词义溯源：发出［撤退信号（retreat）］

例 Several students scaled the embassy's gate, but beat a retreat when armed riot police came after them.

4. beat around 〔about〕 the bush ** 顾左右而言他，旁敲侧击，绕圈子

解 习语；词义溯源：击打［树丛（bush）］［边缘（around）］

例 Politicians are notorious for beating around the bush when they want to avoid answering a question.

5. beat one's brains out * 猛烈殴打，打死

解 俚语；词义溯源：连某人的脑子都要打［出来（out）］了；常用于武力威胁时，不能轻易使用

例 Greg's father warned him that if he ever caught him using drugs he would beat his brains out.

6. beat one's gums * 长时间地唠叨，说没有重点的话

解 俚语；词义溯源：反复碰撞［牙龈（gums）］

例 While the speaker was beating his gums, half of the audience got up and left.

7. beat 〔bang〕 one's head against a brick wall ** （为完成一件完全没有希望的事情）浪费时间，徒劳无益

解 〈口〉习语；词义溯源：用头撞击［墙壁（brick wall）］

例 Go ahead and try if you want to, but I think you're just beating your head against a brick wall.

8. beat 〔knock〕 sb. down to size / beat sb. down ** （通过打等）让某人变谦逊，灭某人的气焰

解 习语；词义溯源：打某人，让其气势［下降（down）］到一定［程度（size）］；参照cut sb. down to size

例 I wish someone would beat that arrogant guy down to size someday.

9. beat sb. to the punch 〔draw〕 ** 抢先行动，抢先下手

解 习语；词义溯源：抢先某人［出拳、打击（punch）］或［获得有利地位（draw）］

例 His company beat the competitor to the punch by introducing the new technology in their mobile phones six months ahead.

10. beat sb. up / beat up sb. *** 痛打, 殴打

解 短语动词；词义溯源：［重重地（up）］打某人

例 First Walter beat Ed Smith up for saying something bad, then Ed's older brother beat up Walter.

11. beat sth. into one's head ** 灌输，重复某事使某人记住

解 习语；词义溯源：将某事捶打［入（into）］某人的脑中

例 What do I have to do to make you understand? Do I have to beat it into your head?

12. beat the band ** 快速地，迅猛地

解 习语；词义溯源：打一帮人，引申为迅猛的

例 My secretary typed the letter to beat the band, finishing it in less than five minutes.

13. beat the gun ** （在结束前）设法完成

解 习语；词义溯源：抢先于［枪声（gun）］；原来是体育用语，表示在比赛结束几秒前得分

例 The deadline for filing the report is 2:00 o'clock tomorrow. If we work on it all night tonight, we might just beat the gun.

14. beat the living daylights out of sb. ** 毒打，狠打

解 〈口〉习语；词义溯源：把某人的［生命力（daylights）］打出体内

例 Mother used to beat the living daylights out of us if she caught us fighting each other.

15. beat the pants off sb. ** 猛烈地殴打某人

解 〈口〉习语；词义溯源：把某人打到其［裤子（pants）］都已经［掉落（off）］的程度

例 Heavyweight champion Stuart Vogel is going to beat the pants off Boris Ivan.

16. beat the rap * 逃避惩罚，逍遥法外

解 俚语；词义溯源：避免、摆脱［犯罪嫌疑、刑事责任（rap）］

例 High-priced lawyers helped Mr. Simpson beat the rap, and so another celebrity murderer had escaped punishment for his crime.

参考译文

1. 你看，你这是在白费力气。这个问题在昨晚的会议上就解决了。

2. 汤姆觉得自己现在这么出名，经纪人肯定会争先恐后地到他家来跟他签合同。

3. 一些学生爬上了大使馆的大门，但是在武装防暴警察追过来之后就撤退了。

4. 众所周知，政客们在想要回避某一问题的时候都喜欢绕圈子。

5. 格雷格的父亲警告他，如果抓到他吸毒，就要打死他。

6. 演讲者说的都是空洞无物的话，所以一半听众都起身离开了。

7. 如果你愿意的话就去试试吧，但是我认为你只是白费力气。

8. 我希望有一天有人能够灭了那个傲慢的家伙的气焰。

9. 他的公司先下手为强，比竞争对手提前六个月推出手机新技术。

10. 先是沃尔特因为埃德·史密斯说了一些不好听的话而暴打了他一顿，然后埃德的哥哥又把沃尔特揍了一顿。

11. 我怎么才能让你明白呢？是不是得把它塞到你脑袋里？

12. 我的秘书打字非常快，不到五分钟就把信打完了。

13. 提交报告的最后期限是明天凌晨2:00。如果我们今天晚上熬夜做的话，到时应该可以正好完成。

14. 如果妈妈发现我们在打架的话，她会狠狠地揍我们。

15. 举重冠军斯图尔特·沃格尔要把鲍里斯· 伊万打个落花流水。

16. 辛普森先生花重金聘请律师帮自己逃脱了刑事责任，于是，又一个名人杀人犯逃脱了法律制裁。