A: When Joe and Lisa were splitting in each one’s throat, why did you clam up without speaking up for Lisa?

　　当Joe和Lisa吵得不可开交时，你为何沉默不语，不帮Lisa说话了。

　　B: I could not put in a word in edge ways. They come on each other like a ton of bricks.

　　我根本不想插嘴，他们吵得那么激烈。

　　A: But you should stand up for Lisa. You should be fair and square.

　　但你应该站出来为Lisa说话，你应该主持公道。

　　B: I do not take side with anyone unless I am sure of what I’m doing.

　　除非我清楚我在做什么，否则我不会站在任何一边。

　　clam up

　　1. 解词释义

　　Clam up是用蚌遇到危险时合上的动作来形容人在某种场合下“闭嘴不言语”“拒不开口”“ 三缄其口”“保持沉默”等等意思。

　　2. 拓展范例

　　e.g. You can't talk with those peasants. They can clam up as well as the Foreign Office.

　　你不能跟那些农民谈话. 他们象外交部一样,可能一点口气也不漏。

　　e.g. Whenever Bev walked by, Roy got so nervous that he would just clam up.

　　每当Bev走过时, Roy总是紧张得说不出话来。

　　e.g. I used to clam up when the talk turned to politics or economics.

　　当话题转到政治或经济问题时，我常沉默不语。

　　e.g. She could clam up for days when she is angry with my father.

　　你妈妈跟你爸爸生气的时候几天不说话。

　　1. speak up：大声讲(毫无顾虑地说出)

　　e.g. It's time to speak up for those who are suffering injustice.

　　现在该为蒙受不公正对待的人们大声疾呼了。

　　e.g. She's no shrinking violet, always ready to speak up for herself.

　　她可不胆小--任何场合都能为自己说话。

　　2. put in a word：插嘴

　　e.g. She asked him to put in a word of sympathy for her son.

　　她请他替她儿子美言几句。

　　e.g. His superior put in a word for him justly and he got the job.

　　他的上级为他说了句公正的话，他得到了那份工作。

　　e.g. She was not powerful enough in the family to put in a weighty word so her wife fumed unrestrictedly.

　　她在家里没有力量说一句有份量的话。所以她的丈夫就随心所欲地发脾气。

　　3. like a ton of bricks：来势凶猛

　　e.g. He came down on me like a ton of bricks when I arrived late.

　　我迟到时他对我大发脾气。

　　e.g. When the boss found me goofing off, he came down on me like a ton of bricks.

　　当老板发现我偷懒时，他气势汹汹地训斥了我一顿。

　　e.g. I had been wondering what to do for several days and the answer hit me like a ton of bricks.

　　我考虑了好几天怎么办，后来头脑中突然出现了答案。

　　2. stand up (for sb.)：支持，拥护

　　e.g. You need strength of mind to stand up for yourself.

　　你需要用精神力量来支持自己。

　　e.g. Always stand up for your principles.

　　要一贯坚持你的原则。

　　3. fair and square：公平公道，光明正大，诚实地

　　e.g. I'm obliged to ask you a few questions; just answer up fair and square, and don't be afraid.

　　我不能不问你几桩事情；你得老老实实地回答我，别害怕。

　　e.g. I like doing business with that new firm because they are fair and square in all their dealings.

　　我喜欢同那家新公司做生意，因为他们在所有的买卖中都很光明正大。

　　e.g. He won the game fair and square.

　　他正大光明地赢了这场比赛。

　　e.g. I try to be fair and square.

　　我尽力做到公正。

　　4. take side with someone：支持，拥护，站在某人一边，向着某人

　　e.g. The children all take side with the mother when she leave her husband.

　　当她离开丈夫时，孩子们都向着她。

　　e.g. I can't expect you to take side with me against Boswell.

　　我不敢期望你站在我这一边来对抗Boswell。

　　5. be sure of：肯定，确定

　　e.g. One thing I am sure of was that she was scared.

　　有一点我能肯定，那就是她当时被吓到了。

　　e.g. I am not sure of what he has said at the meeting.

　　他在会上说了些什么我不太清楚。

　　4. come down on sb. like a ton of bricks：严厉惩罚

　　e.g. After enlisting in the army, I didn't know if I'd survive basic training. My sergeant was really strict. Anytime one of us in the platoon made the slightest mistake, he'd come down on us like a ton of bricks. He thought by disciplining us in such a severe way, we'd become better soldiers.

　　刚入伍的时候，我真不知道能不能挺得下来。我们排长要求特别严。我们哪怕是犯了一丁点儿的错误，他都会严加惩罚。他觉得只有严格要求我们，我们才能成为更加出色的军人。

　　e.g. I really disliked my fifth grade teacher. She used to come down on me like a ton of bricks. Once I was sent to the principal's office just for chewing gum in class. I couldn't wait to finish that school year!

　　我特别不喜欢我五年级时的老师。她经常罚我。有一次，就因为上课吃口香糖，她就让我到校长办公室去。我每天都盼着那个学年快点结束。

　　5. split in each one’s throat：争吵

　　e.g. My parents are always splitting each other’s throat so that I cannot concentrate on my study.

　　我的父母总是吵个不停，我没法安心学习。

　　e.g. Two of them was about to split each other’s throat , but I headed it off.

　　两个人正要争吵，我给岔开了。