104．触及铜钉

［词语］to come down to brass tacks

to get down to brass tacks

［含义］说话单刀直入；谈实际问题；言归正传

［趣释］【物事喻指】早年美国有一种平头铜钉（brass tacks）常用来钉柜台或椅子。人们在柜台按尺寸钉上一排铜钉，布店就可以用它当尺子量布，卖布时可以省去拿尺子的麻烦，快捷方便。钉椅子时底座也要钉一排铜钉，表面再上罩布。每逢布店量布或修理椅子时，都必须“触及铜钉”。后来，人们就用“触及铜钉”（to come/get down to brass tacks）来喻指说话单刀直入、谈实际问题、言归正传。美国作家西奥多·德莱塞（Theodore Dreiser）在其小说《珍妮姑娘》（Jennie Gerhardt）中就引用了这个典故。

［运用］It was like his brother to come down to the“brass tacks”. If Lester were only as cautious as he was straightforward and direct, what a man he would be！他兄弟就是这个脾气，说话单刀直入。莱斯特为人坦率爽快，若再加上小心谨慎，将是如何了不起！（德莱塞语）

I can see that we're in general agreement, New, let's get down to brass tacks． 我看我们意见大体上一致了。现在让我们讨论具体细节吧。

It's time George stopped all this theorizing and get down to brass tracks. What we want to know is how much the job will cost, not how scientific the method is going to be． 该是乔治停止长篇大论而谈些实质问题的时候了，我们想知道的是这活要花多少钱，而不是采用的方法有多科学。

I'm afraid I can give you only ten minutes'time. Let's come down to brass tacks at once． 我恐怕只能给你十分钟，我们马上就谈正事吧。