【英语习语】

break a leg

【习语注释】

除了Good luck，你恐怕没想到break a leg竟然也表示“祝你好运”吧。该习语中字面意思表示“打断腿”，主要用来喻指“a jovial encouragement, said to actors for good luck before they go on stage, especially on an opening night”，即“一种愉快的鼓励，在演员上台前，特别是在开幕之夜，对他们说祝他们好运”，相当于汉语里的“祝好运；祝成功；祝顺利”。

【习语运用】

So break a leg. I'll be in the front row.

祝你演出成功！我会坐在最前排。

Break a leg tomorrow at your job interview. I hope that you'll get the job.

希望你明天的面试表现完美，得到那份工作。

To wish an actor prior to his going on stage to "break a leg" is a well-known practice.

在演员登台前祝愿他“折断一条腿（祝你成功）”是一种广为流传的做法。

【闲话习语】

该习语乍听起来像是坏话，是诅咒，其实是源于舞台表演的场合。以前舞台演员们都迷信上台之前不能听到类似“Good luck”这样的好话，因为实际结果往往会与此相反。

此外，break一词其实有“弯曲”的含义，所以break a leg也有“屈膝”的意思，用来代指舞台演员在表演结束后向观众行屈膝礼，进而喻指“表演成功”。比如，当年美国的报纸《The Charleston Gazette》在其名为《Ask The Gazette》的栏目里有过这样的报道（1948年5月）：

"Q. What are some of the well-known superstitions of the theatre?

A. Superstitions of the stage are numerous and many are particular to individual actors and actresses. That it is bad luck to whistle in a dressing room is a widely accepted belief. Another is that one actor should not wish another good luck before a performance but say instead 'I hope you break a leg."

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那么，你还知道英语里“祝你好运”的其它说法吗？欢迎留言探讨。