名人教英文：和身体相关的用语（3）
和身体有关的英文惯用语（idioms），俯拾皆是。之前谈过有关头、肩、手、足等部位的例子，这次我会介绍和腹背相关的惯用语。
break one's back意即拚命工作，如：i am breaking my back to finish the task on time. back-breaking形容极劳苦的差事，引伸形容庞大的负担或压力：the company is struggling with back-breaking debt.
have one's back to the wall即被迫到墙角，别无选择。譬如说，早前财政司长宣读预算案后，饱受各界抨击，不得不答应修改：the politicians pressed so hard for budget concessions that the financial secretary had his back to the wall.
on someone's back意谓不停对人唠唠叨叨。 "get off my back!" 是一句气话，即「别再跟我唠叨了！」
stab someone in the back字面义是在别人背后刺一刀，实质指放暗箭、背叛别人。his friend stabbed him in the back by speaking against his plan at the meeting.
belly即肚皮。许多动物死时肚子朝天，说一家公司goes belly up，也就是它资不抵债，要倒闭了。美国老牌连锁书店borders抵受不住amazon等网络书店的冲击，关闭多间分店，并申请破产：having failed to diversify into the e-book business, borders may go belly up.
soft belly或underbelly指脆弱的部分。例子：germany has strong export performance, but rising demand from the trade unions is its underbelly. 近义词有achilles' heel，典出希腊神话：半人半神的achilles，初生时被母亲倒提着浸在冥河中，使他刀枪不入，却剩下脚跟没有浸，后来achilles被箭射伤了脚跟，一命呜呼。因此，achilles' heel现解作致命的弱点。
以上惯用语主要用于口语或非正式场合，如果使用得当，能令话语更自然、生动。
英语单词词汇学习：
debt……债务
stab……刺（一刀）
diversify……多样化、从事多元业务