Baball is America's national sport. So it is not unusual that many popular expressions come from baball. But first, let me explain a little about the game.
棒球是美国最流行的运动项目。所以有很多来自棒球的常用语也不足为奇。但首先让我稍微解释一下这项运动。
Each baball team has nine players. The pitcher of one team throws the ball to a batter from the other team. The batter attempts to hit the ball. If he miss, it is called a strike. If a batter gets three strikes, he los his turn at bat and is called out. The batter also is out if he hits the ball in the air and an opposing player catches it. But if the batter hits the ball and it is not caught, the batter tries to run to one or more of the four bas on the field. The batter can run to all four bas if he hits the ball over the fence or out of the ballpark. Such a hit is called a home run.
每个棒球队有9名球员，一队的投手将球投向另一队的击球员。击球员尝试击中来球。如果他没击中，这就被称为一个“好球”（好球是针对投手来说，对击球手来说，他就是一击不中）。如果一名击球员得到三次好球，他就失去击球机会，这被成为“出局”。如果击球员击出腾空球并被对方球员接住，这样他也会出局。但如果击球员击中球，并且球没被对方球员
接住，击球员就会设法在四个垒中跑出一到多个垒。如果击球员将球击到篱笆以上或击出球场，他就能跑遍四垒，这样的一次击球就被称为一记本垒打。
Now, here are some common expressions from baball. Someone who is on the ball is intelligent and able to do a good job. But a person who threw a curve ball did something unexpected. Someone who steps up to the plate is ready to do his or her job. A pinch hitter takes the place of someone el at a job or activity.
以下就是来自棒球的一些常用语。Someone who is on the ball是指他聪明，能做好工作。 a person who threw a curve ball是指他做出了让人意想不到的事情。Someone who steps up to the plate指他准备好了做他（她）的工作。pinch hitter是指某项工作或活动中的替代者。
A person who strikes out or goes down swinging attempted something but failed. We also might tell the person that three strikes and you are out. But someone who hit a home run or hit it out of the park did something extremely well.
A person who strikes out or goes down swinging是指他尝试做某事但未能成功。我们还可
能会告诉这个人three strikes and you are out（三振出局）。但someone who hit a home run or hit it out of the park意味着他做得非常好。
Sometimes I have to give information quickly, without time to think it over. Then I would say something right off the bat. If someone is doing an extremely good job and is very successful, you might say he or she is batting one thousand.
有时候我必须不经思考很快提供信息，这样I would say something right off the bat(立刻)。如果某人工作非常出色，你可能会说he or she is batting one thousand。
If I say I want to touch ba with you, I will talk to you from time to time about something we plan to do. I might say I touched all the bas if I did what is necessary to complete a job or activity. And if I covered my bas I was well prepared. However, someone who is way off ba did something wrong or maybe even dishonest or immoral. A person with strange ideas might be described as out in left field.
如果我说I want to touch ba with you，意思是我会就我们计划做的一些事情不时和你交谈。如果我完成了某项工作或活动所必须完成的所有事情，我可能会说 I touched all the b
as。如果I covered my bas，意思是指做好了准备。然而，someone who is way off ba是指他做错了事，甚至做了不诚实或不正派的事。拥有奇怪想法的人被称为out in left field。
Let us say I want to ll my car but I do not know exactly how much it is worth. If someone asks me the price, I might give a ballpark figure or a ballpark estimate.
假设我想要卖车但不知道它的确切价值。如果有人问我这车的售价，我就会给出一个大概的数字（a ballpark figure or a ballpark estimate）。
If someone offers me an amount that is clo to my lling price, I might say the amount is in the ballpark. However, if I say we are not in the same ballpark, I mean we cannot agree becau my ideas are too different from yours.
如果某人给出的报价，跟我的售价接近，我会说the amount is in the ballpark（差不多）。然而，如果我说we are not in the same ballpark，我的意思是说我们无法达成协议，因为我们的想法差得太远。
Finally, when a situation changes completely, we say that is a whole new ballgame.
最后，当局面完全改变时，我们会说that is a whole new ballgame（现在的情况与以前完全不一样）。
