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“Can’t hold a candle to” is a popular expression1. It is from the time before electricity, when people used candles for light. Someone who lived in a big house would have a servant2 light his way by holding a candle. The expression meant that the person who cannot hold a candle to you is not fit even to be your servant. Now, it means such a person cannot compare or compete. For example, “As for singing, Cindy can’t hold a candle to her sister.”
“can’t hold a candle to”是一个很流行的表达，它起源于电还没有被发明的时期，当时人们都用蜡烛照明。住在大房子里的人通常会让仆人拿着一根蜡烛在前面照明引路。这一表达的原意是指不能拿着蜡烛给你带路的人不配当你的仆人。现在，它的意思是“远远比不上……”。比如，“辛迪唱歌远远比不上她的姐姐。”
Another expression is “hold your tongue”. It means to be still and not talk. “Hold your tongue” is not something you would tell a friend. But a parent or teacher might use the expression to quiet a noisy child.
另外一个表达是“hold your tongue”。意思是“静下来，不要说话”。不过不要对你的朋友说这样的话，因为这是家长或老师训斥一个吵闹的小孩使他安静时所用的表达。
“Hold out” is an expression one hears often in sports reports and labor news. It means to refuse to play or work. Professional3 football and baseball players “hold out” if their team refuses to pay them what they think they are worth. Members of labor unions “hold out” and refuse to work until they get the work agreement they want.
我们在体育报道或劳工新闻中听到“hold out”一词，它的意思是“罢赛”或“罢工”。如果职业足球运动员或篮球运动员的球队拿到的薪酬没有达到他们的理想值，他们就会“hold out (罢赛)”。如果工会成员在工作方面的要求没有得到同意，他们便会一直“hold out (罢工)”。
The expression “hold up” has several different meanings. One is a robbery4. A man with a gun may say, “This is a hold up. Give me your money.” Another meaning is to delay5. A driver late for work may tell his boss, “I was held up by heavy traffic.” Someone who was robbed on the way to work might say, “Sorry, boss, I was held up by a hold up.”
“hold up”这个短语有几个不同的含义。一个含义是“抢劫”。比如，一个拿着枪的男人说：“打劫了！把钱交出来！”另外它还有“耽搁”的含义。比如，一个司机因为上班迟到而向他的老板解释：“我是因为堵车而耽误了时间。”如果有个人因为在路上遭遇抢劫而迟到，他可以说：“对不起，老板，我因为被“hold up (抢劫)”而“hold up (耽误)”了。
Still another meaning of the expression is for a story to be considered true after an investigation6. The same driver late for work could say, “My boss did not believe a hold up held me up. But the police confirmed7 what I said, so my story held up.”
这个表达还有一个意思就是“经过调查后证明某件事属实”。比如那个司机可能会说“我的老板不相信我因为遭遇抢劫而耽误了时间，但是警察证实了我所说的，所以我的理由“hold up (属实)。”
“Hold on” is another expression. Often it means wait or stop. As you leave for school, your brother may say, “Hold on, you forgot your book.”
“hold on”是另外一个表达，它的意思通常是“等一等”或“停一下”。你出门去上学的时候，你的哥哥可能会说：“Hold on (等一下)，你的书忘带了。”
Our final expression is “hold the line”. That means to keep a problem or situation from getting worse—to hold steady8. For example, the president may say he will “hold the line on taxes.” He means there will be no increase in taxes.
我们要学的最后一个表达是“hold the line”，它的意思是掌控一个问题或一种形势，从而使之保持稳定而不会变得更糟。比如，总统可能会说他将“hold the line (掌控)税收形势”，意思是税收不会继续增长了。
[1] expression n. 表现，表达，说法 [2] servant n. 仆人，佣人
[3] professional adj. 专业的；职业的 [4] robbery n. 抢劫，盗窃
[5] delay vi. 延期；耽搁 [6] investigation n. 调查
[7] confirm vt. 确认；确定；证实 [8] steady adj. 稳定的；不变的
“can’t hold a candle to”是一个很流行的表达，它起源于电还没有被发明的时期，当时人们都用蜡烛照明。住在大房子里的人通常会让仆人拿着一根蜡烛在前面照明引路。这一表达的原意是指不能拿着蜡烛给你带路的人不配当你的仆人。现在，它的意思是“远远比不上……”。比如，“辛迪唱歌远远比不上她的姐姐。”
Another expression is “hold your tongue”. It means to be still and not talk. “Hold your tongue” is not something you would tell a friend. But a parent or teacher might use the expression to quiet a noisy child.
另外一个表达是“hold your tongue”。意思是“静下来，不要说话”。不过不要对你的朋友说这样的话，因为这是家长或老师训斥一个吵闹的小孩使他安静时所用的表达。
“Hold out” is an expression one hears often in sports reports and labor news. It means to refuse to play or work. Professional3 football and baseball players “hold out” if their team refuses to pay them what they think they are worth. Members of labor unions “hold out” and refuse to work until they get the work agreement they want.
我们在体育报道或劳工新闻中听到“hold out”一词，它的意思是“罢赛”或“罢工”。如果职业足球运动员或篮球运动员的球队拿到的薪酬没有达到他们的理想值，他们就会“hold out (罢赛)”。如果工会成员在工作方面的要求没有得到同意，他们便会一直“hold out (罢工)”。
The expression “hold up” has several different meanings. One is a robbery4. A man with a gun may say, “This is a hold up. Give me your money.” Another meaning is to delay5. A driver late for work may tell his boss, “I was held up by heavy traffic.” Someone who was robbed on the way to work might say, “Sorry, boss, I was held up by a hold up.”
“hold up”这个短语有几个不同的含义。一个含义是“抢劫”。比如，一个拿着枪的男人说：“打劫了！把钱交出来！”另外它还有“耽搁”的含义。比如，一个司机因为上班迟到而向他的老板解释：“我是因为堵车而耽误了时间。”如果有个人因为在路上遭遇抢劫而迟到，他可以说：“对不起，老板，我因为被“hold up (抢劫)”而“hold up (耽误)”了。
Still another meaning of the expression is for a story to be considered true after an investigation6. The same driver late for work could say, “My boss did not believe a hold up held me up. But the police confirmed7 what I said, so my story held up.”
这个表达还有一个意思就是“经过调查后证明某件事属实”。比如那个司机可能会说“我的老板不相信我因为遭遇抢劫而耽误了时间，但是警察证实了我所说的，所以我的理由“hold up (属实)。”
“Hold on” is another expression. Often it means wait or stop. As you leave for school, your brother may say, “Hold on, you forgot your book.”
“hold on”是另外一个表达，它的意思通常是“等一等”或“停一下”。你出门去上学的时候，你的哥哥可能会说：“Hold on (等一下)，你的书忘带了。”
Our final expression is “hold the line”. That means to keep a problem or situation from getting worse—to hold steady8. For example, the president may say he will “hold the line on taxes.” He means there will be no increase in taxes.
我们要学的最后一个表达是“hold the line”，它的意思是掌控一个问题或一种形势，从而使之保持稳定而不会变得更糟。比如，总统可能会说他将“hold the line (掌控)税收形势”，意思是税收不会继续增长了。
[1] expression n. 表现，表达，说法 [2] servant n. 仆人，佣人
[3] professional adj. 专业的；职业的 [4] robbery n. 抢劫，盗窃
[5] delay vi. 延期；耽搁 [6] investigation n. 调查
[7] confirm vt. 确认；确定；证实 [8] steady adj. 稳定的；不变的