目前是美国棒球季节，全国棒球大联盟（Major Leagure Baseball）比赛正进行得如火如荼，借此机会介绍一个和棒球相关的常用短语。 To throw a curve / To throw someone a curve (curveball) To pitch a curveball to someone in baseball To confuse someone by doing something tricky or unexpected, to surprise someone with something that is difficult or unpleasant to deal with 在棒球比赛中，throw a curve的意思是投球手投出一个弧线球（curveball）。弧线球对于击球手来说是个噩梦，因为弧线球很难打，容易将击球手淘汰出局。这个短语在棒球运动之外的意思通常指突如其来，意料之外的事情发生在某人身上，或者是用意料之外的事情让某人措手不及，无法应对。 造句： 1. The pitcher threw John a curve, and John swung wildly against thin air. （投球手向约翰投出一个弧线球，约翰拼命一挥但是落空了。） 2. If we put our trust in Jesus Christ, then we can still have peace and joy even when life throws us a curveball. （若是我们把信心建立在耶稣基督里，那么即使当生命中有突如其来之事发生时，我们仍能有平安和喜乐。）

low-hanging fruit(s): 1. things such as goals, targets that can be easily achieved. 2. people who can be easily persuaded, talked into, tricked, or fooled to do or buy things. 这个短语从字面上来看，意思是指那些挂在树上很低的果子，最容易被摘取。有了这个背景知识，就比较容易记住这个短语的常用意思。这个短语的第一个意思是这那些很容易达到的目标或很容易做到的事情。第二种意思是第一种的引申，是指那些很容易被说服或被蒙蔽而去做某事或买某样东西的那些人。 造句： 1). In order for us to succeed in the short term, we need to first go after the low-hanging fruit. （为了让公司在短期内有成效，我们首先要实现那些容易达到的目标。） 2). As a personal financial adviser, when looking for clients you should always start with the low-hanging fruits, then move on to those who are harder to be persuaded. （作为个人理财顾问，当你寻找客户时，应该总是从那些容易被说服的人开始着手，然后再去说服那些比较难说服的人。）