大多數(shù)人都認(rèn)為坦率是一個(gè)很好的品質(zhì)，西方人尤其欣賞坦率的交流方式。美國(guó)的日常用語(yǔ)有好幾種說法來(lái)形容坦率。
1 to pull no punches
To pull no punches，這是指毫不保留地告訴別人你的看法。Punch 這個(gè)字的一種解釋就是拳擊。To pull no punches 這個(gè)俗語(yǔ)使人腦子里頓時(shí)出現(xiàn)一個(gè)拳擊場(chǎng)里兩個(gè)拳擊手扭成一團(tuán)，互相攻打?qū)Ψ剑鴮?duì)方設(shè)法回避的形像。但是 to pull no punches 這個(gè)俗語(yǔ)并不是用在拳擊方面的。
例如：When I saw my brother Joe, I didn't pull any punches——I told him to stop drinking and go out and find a job.
當(dāng)我見到我哥哥喬的時(shí)候，我毫不保留地對(duì)他說，不要再喝酒了，還是出去找個(gè)工作吧。
人們要想毫無(wú)保留地同對(duì)方講心里話的時(shí)候往往會(huì)很猶豫，怕傷害別人。但是，在有的情況下，你絕不會(huì)猶豫，就像下面這個(gè)例子里的這個(gè)人：
I pulled no punches when I went to see the auto dealer who sold me such a lousy car. I told him he ought to be ashamed to charge so much for a car that had so many things wrong with it. No, he didn't give me my money back, but I sure felt better afterwards.
那個(gè)汽車商賣給我的這輛汽車毛病太多了。我去看他的時(shí)候毫不客氣地對(duì)他說，賣這么次的車給我還收我那么多的錢，你自己應(yīng)該感到害臊。雖然他并沒有把錢還給我，可是，說了這些話我感到痛快多了。
2 straight from the horse's mouth
Straight from the horse's mouth，從字面上來(lái)解釋它的意思是：直接來(lái)自馬的嘴巴?？墒?，這個(gè)俗語(yǔ)的真正意思是：你聽到的消息是真實(shí)可靠的，因?yàn)檫@消息來(lái)自可靠的來(lái)源。馬和消息可靠又有什么關(guān)系呢？你要知道，遠(yuǎn)在人們還沒有使用汽車的年代，人們是依靠馬作為他們主要的交通工具，認(rèn)為馬是十分可靠的?，F(xiàn)在，汽車已經(jīng)早就代替了馬，但是這個(gè)俗語(yǔ)仍然被廣為使用。
例如：I tell you I know for certain that Lisa will be promoted to manager. The boss told me himself, so it's straight from the horse's mouth!
告訴你，我知道莉沙肯定會(huì)被提升為經(jīng)理的。這是老板親口告訴我的，這個(gè)消息是絕對(duì)可靠的！
又如：Say, did you hear that Sally and Bob are going to get married. Honest, I'm not joking. I heard it from Bob himself, so it's straight from the horse's mouth!
喂，你聽說了沒有，薩利和鮑勃要結(jié)婚了。我可不是開玩笑，我說的是實(shí)話。我是聽鮑勃自己講的，因此這消息是完全可靠的！
3 no holds barred
No holds barred 這個(gè)說法是來(lái)自摔跤運(yùn)動(dòng)。但是，在人們爭(zhēng)論的時(shí)候， no holds barred 是指不顧對(duì)方的面子和情緒，毫不遲疑地把自己的想法說出來(lái)。
例如：My wife and I had a real no holds barred talk last night about all the things wrong with our marriage.
我和我的妻子昨晚可真是毫不留情地談了一談，把我們婚姻方面的所有問題不管三七二十一都說了出來(lái)。
No holds barred 也可以形容政客之間的辯論。
例如：That TV debate between those two guys running for senator was sure a no holds barred affair. They spent more time saying nasty things about each other than they did talking about their plans.
那兩個(gè)競(jìng)選參議員的人在電視上進(jìn)行辯論時(shí)真是毫不留情地說話。他們花在互相攻擊方面的時(shí)間比介紹他們方針的時(shí)間還多。
4 to let one's hair down
To let one's hair down 描繪出一幅可愛的畫面。過去，西方女子很多都留長(zhǎng)頭發(fā)，出去應(yīng)酬時(shí)把頭發(fā)盤在頭上梳出各種式樣來(lái)。晚上回家后，她們就把發(fā)卡一個(gè)個(gè)地從頭發(fā)里拿出來(lái)，讓頭發(fā)很自然地披在肩上。To let one's hair down 的實(shí)質(zhì)意思也就是輕松、自然地把心理的話說出來(lái)。 To let one's hair down 不一定用于女子，也可以用在男性。
例如：The president has to make so many official appearances that he seldom gets a chance to let his hair down and enjoy life like ordinary people.
總統(tǒng)要出席許多公開場(chǎng)合，因此他很少有機(jī)會(huì)像普通老百姓那樣輕松地享受生活。
To let one's hair down 也可以用在朋友之間，例如：
Sally, we've been good friends for a long time. But lately I get the idea you are very much upset with me. I wish you'd let your hair down and tell me what's wrong to make you feel this way.
薩莉，我們多年來(lái)一直是好朋友，可是最近我感到你對(duì)我非常不高興。我希望你能夠坦率地告訴我，到底是些什么事讓你這么不高興。
1 to pull no punches
To pull no punches，這是指毫不保留地告訴別人你的看法。Punch 這個(gè)字的一種解釋就是拳擊。To pull no punches 這個(gè)俗語(yǔ)使人腦子里頓時(shí)出現(xiàn)一個(gè)拳擊場(chǎng)里兩個(gè)拳擊手扭成一團(tuán)，互相攻打?qū)Ψ剑鴮?duì)方設(shè)法回避的形像。但是 to pull no punches 這個(gè)俗語(yǔ)并不是用在拳擊方面的。
例如：When I saw my brother Joe, I didn't pull any punches——I told him to stop drinking and go out and find a job.
當(dāng)我見到我哥哥喬的時(shí)候，我毫不保留地對(duì)他說，不要再喝酒了，還是出去找個(gè)工作吧。
人們要想毫無(wú)保留地同對(duì)方講心里話的時(shí)候往往會(huì)很猶豫，怕傷害別人。但是，在有的情況下，你絕不會(huì)猶豫，就像下面這個(gè)例子里的這個(gè)人：
I pulled no punches when I went to see the auto dealer who sold me such a lousy car. I told him he ought to be ashamed to charge so much for a car that had so many things wrong with it. No, he didn't give me my money back, but I sure felt better afterwards.
那個(gè)汽車商賣給我的這輛汽車毛病太多了。我去看他的時(shí)候毫不客氣地對(duì)他說，賣這么次的車給我還收我那么多的錢，你自己應(yīng)該感到害臊。雖然他并沒有把錢還給我，可是，說了這些話我感到痛快多了。
2 straight from the horse's mouth
Straight from the horse's mouth，從字面上來(lái)解釋它的意思是：直接來(lái)自馬的嘴巴?？墒?，這個(gè)俗語(yǔ)的真正意思是：你聽到的消息是真實(shí)可靠的，因?yàn)檫@消息來(lái)自可靠的來(lái)源。馬和消息可靠又有什么關(guān)系呢？你要知道，遠(yuǎn)在人們還沒有使用汽車的年代，人們是依靠馬作為他們主要的交通工具，認(rèn)為馬是十分可靠的?，F(xiàn)在，汽車已經(jīng)早就代替了馬，但是這個(gè)俗語(yǔ)仍然被廣為使用。
例如：I tell you I know for certain that Lisa will be promoted to manager. The boss told me himself, so it's straight from the horse's mouth!
告訴你，我知道莉沙肯定會(huì)被提升為經(jīng)理的。這是老板親口告訴我的，這個(gè)消息是絕對(duì)可靠的！
又如：Say, did you hear that Sally and Bob are going to get married. Honest, I'm not joking. I heard it from Bob himself, so it's straight from the horse's mouth!
喂，你聽說了沒有，薩利和鮑勃要結(jié)婚了。我可不是開玩笑，我說的是實(shí)話。我是聽鮑勃自己講的，因此這消息是完全可靠的！
3 no holds barred
No holds barred 這個(gè)說法是來(lái)自摔跤運(yùn)動(dòng)。但是，在人們爭(zhēng)論的時(shí)候， no holds barred 是指不顧對(duì)方的面子和情緒，毫不遲疑地把自己的想法說出來(lái)。
例如：My wife and I had a real no holds barred talk last night about all the things wrong with our marriage.
我和我的妻子昨晚可真是毫不留情地談了一談，把我們婚姻方面的所有問題不管三七二十一都說了出來(lái)。
No holds barred 也可以形容政客之間的辯論。
例如：That TV debate between those two guys running for senator was sure a no holds barred affair. They spent more time saying nasty things about each other than they did talking about their plans.
那兩個(gè)競(jìng)選參議員的人在電視上進(jìn)行辯論時(shí)真是毫不留情地說話。他們花在互相攻擊方面的時(shí)間比介紹他們方針的時(shí)間還多。
4 to let one's hair down
To let one's hair down 描繪出一幅可愛的畫面。過去，西方女子很多都留長(zhǎng)頭發(fā)，出去應(yīng)酬時(shí)把頭發(fā)盤在頭上梳出各種式樣來(lái)。晚上回家后，她們就把發(fā)卡一個(gè)個(gè)地從頭發(fā)里拿出來(lái)，讓頭發(fā)很自然地披在肩上。To let one's hair down 的實(shí)質(zhì)意思也就是輕松、自然地把心理的話說出來(lái)。 To let one's hair down 不一定用于女子，也可以用在男性。
例如：The president has to make so many official appearances that he seldom gets a chance to let his hair down and enjoy life like ordinary people.
總統(tǒng)要出席許多公開場(chǎng)合，因此他很少有機(jī)會(huì)像普通老百姓那樣輕松地享受生活。
To let one's hair down 也可以用在朋友之間，例如：
Sally, we've been good friends for a long time. But lately I get the idea you are very much upset with me. I wish you'd let your hair down and tell me what's wrong to make you feel this way.
薩莉，我們多年來(lái)一直是好朋友，可是最近我感到你對(duì)我非常不高興。我希望你能夠坦率地告訴我，到底是些什么事讓你這么不高興。