（双语文稿）习语Run Something Up the Flagpole

And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
现在是美国之音慢速英语词汇掌故节目。
Great ideas can be the lifeblood of any project. That means they can bring a project to life or even back from the dead. 
伟大的想法可能是任何项目的命脉。这意味着它们可以让一个项目生机勃发，甚至可以起死回生。
From redesigning a home to creating an educational product, bold, creative ideas are valuable.
从重新设计家装到创建教育产品，大胆、有创意的想法都是弥足珍贵的。
But often even a great idea needs a little work. It may need tweaking, meaning you need to make small changes. 
但通常，即使是一个伟大的想法也需要一些工作。它可能需要调整，这意味着你需要做一些小的更改。
So, before sharing an idea with a large group, we may want to share it with a smaller group. We can test it out first, before putting the idea into action.
因此，在大范围分享想法之前，我们可能要在小范围内先分享它。我们可以先测试一下，然后再付诸行动。
But first, let's talk about getting that big idea.
但首先，让我们谈谈如何获得这个大创意。
You may have heard of brainstorming. This is an idea-creating activity. When we brainstorm, we say ideas as quickly as we think of them.
你可能听说过头脑风暴。这是一个创造想法的活动。当我们进行头脑风暴时，我们一有某些想法就会脱口而出。
In informal situations, we can call this throwing spaghetti at the wall. Why, you may ask? Well, cooked spaghetti is sticky. If spaghetti is cooked enough, it will stick when you throw it against the wall. If it is not cooked enough, it might not stick.
在非正式的场合中，我们把这叫做往墙上扔意大利面。你可能会问，为什么这样说?嗯，煮熟的意大利面很粘。如果意大利面煮得足够熟，当你把它扔到墙上时，它会粘住。如果煮得不够熟，就可能粘不住。
Good ideas stick too. In brainstorming, we often say we throw ideas around. And the good ones stay or stick. But as we said earlier, even if an idea sticks, we may want to test it out before sharing it with a large group of people.
好的想法也会坚持下来。在头脑风暴中，我们经常说我们把想法扔来扔去。好的想法会留下来。但正如我们之前所说，即使一个想法坚持下来，我们也可能想要在与他人分享之前进行测试
That is when we can run it up the flagpole. Running an idea, plan, or proposal up the flagpole is a way to test interest or get feedback. The full phrase is "run it up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes." Military members salute when our flag is present and when they hear the first note of the national anthem.
这时就是我们“run it up the flagpole”之时。“Running an idea, plan, or proposal up the flagpole”是测试兴趣或获得反馈的一种方式。完整的短语是“run it up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes.”当国旗出现，听到国歌的第一个音符时，军人们会行礼。
Let's listen to an example: If you are the leader of a project, you could say to your team, "I like that plan. But it is risky. Let's run it up the flagpole before pitching it to the boss." In other words, you want to get more opinions before making the plan official.
让我们来听一个例子:如果你是一个项目的领导者，你可以对你的团队说，“我喜欢这个计划。但这是有风险的。让我们在把它提交给老板之前，先把它推上旗杆。”换句话说，你想在正式制定计划之前得到更多的意见。
Here is another example: When writing these stories, I often run my ideas up a flagpole. I respect the opinions of my co-workers and often take their suggestions on board – meaning I take them into consideration. So, I like bouncing ideas off them.
这里有另一个例子:在写这些故事的时候，我经常把我的想法推上旗杆。我尊重同事的意见，经常支持他们的建议，也就是说我会考虑他们的意见。所以，我喜欢从他们那里得到灵感。
And that is a more common way to express this idea. Bouncing something off someone is a way to know their thoughts. You are asking their opinion and are looking to see their reaction. Bouncing ideas around is a good way to gauge interest – to find out what people think.
这是一种更常见的表达方式。“Bouncing something off someone”是了解他人想法的一种方式。你在询问他人的意见，想看看他人的反应。反复讨论想法是判断兴趣、了解想法的好方法。
So, the next time you have an idea, and you are unsure about it, run it up the flagpole! Bounce it off some friends! With the right people, you will soon know if it is good, bad, or needs work.
所以，下次当你有一个想法，而你又不确定的时候，把它推上旗杆!把它甩给一些朋友!有合适的人，你很快就会知道它是好是坏，还是需要改进。
And that is all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories. Until next time...
I'm Anna Matteo.