口语 | 美国习惯用语第108讲
1. to call the shots
2. to call one's bluff
我们经常会问别人：你们家里谁说了算？也就是谁作最后决定。美国人经常说：to calls the shots。
To call the shots也就是作最后决定、下命令。To call the shots的原来意思是：军官下令部队开枪。但是现在to call the shots已经在口语中常常出现。请听一个公司雇员在讲他公司里的事：
例句-1: "The three partners who own our company are supposed to have equal say in running it. But one of them, old Mister Johns, is the one who calls the shots and tells us what to do."
他说："我们公司三个老板在经营方面应该是有同样发言权的。但是最后做决定的总是老约翰先生，每次都是由他来告诉我们干什么。"
有些男人很不喜欢女人当他们的领导，但是有时也无可奈何。下面就是一例：
例句-2: "Some men in the office thought no woman could be strong enough to be boss. But a week after Miss Smith took charge, they learned she was going to call the shots and they'd better listen."
他说："办公室里有些男的雇员以为没有一个女子有足够的能力来当领导。但是，在史密斯小姐主管工作一个礼拜以后，他们知道她说的话就是命令，因此还是服从她为好。"
下面我们要给大家介绍的一个常用语是：to call one's bluff。To call one's bluff就是揭露某人虚张声势的做法。这个俗语来自美国人喜欢玩的扑克牌游戏。有时你手里的牌很坏，但是你想让别人认为你手里的牌好极了，可是别人不相信你，对你进行挑战，这就是to call one's bluff。你听听一位打牌老手是怎么说的：
例句-3: "Sometimes you can scare the other players out of the game with a bluff and 'steal' the pot with a worthless hand. But it can be very expensive if another player calls your bluff."
他说："有时候你可以虚张声势把其他牌友吓住了，这样你就偷偷地用一手坏牌赢了钱。可是，要是另一个打牌的人不相信你，向你挑战，那你就可能会输不少钱。"
To call one's bluff这个说法现在已经不局限在打牌上了。下面这个例子是一个公司的经理在对他的助手讲话：
例句-4: "One of our salesmen asked for a raise in salary today, and said he'd have to leave if we didn't give him a raise. But I called his bluff--I told him no, and wished him good luck. Then he said he'd stay on with us because he liked working here so much."
他说："我们公司的一个推销员今天要我给他加工资，说要是我们不给他加工资，他就不在这儿干了。但是我没上他的当，拒绝了他的要求，还祝他好运气。于是他就改口说他非常喜欢这儿的工作，愿意在这儿继续做下去。"