have someone on the ropes 復習
すでに先生がアップされたトピックスですが、リオ五輪・男子テニスのシングルス３位決定戦が行われ、錦織 圭選手が勝利し、日本勢としては９６年ぶりのメダルを獲得しました。
OLYMPICS/ Nishikori digs deep, dispatches Nadal to win bronze for Japan
RIO DE JANEIRO--Kei Nishikori outlasted Spanish rival Rafael Nadal to capture the bronze medal on Aug. 14 at the Rio Summer Games for Japan’s first Olympic medal in tennis in 96 years.
"There were many times when I felt like giving up," Nishikori said after winning 6-2, 6-7 (1-7), 6-3 in a match that lasted almost three hours.
Nishikori had previously beaten Nadal only once in their last 10 meetings. But after taking the first set, Japan's ace had Nadal on the ropes with a 5-2 lead in the second set.
Nishikori found himself on three occasions just two points from winning the match.
But Nadal has not won 14 Grand Slam titles because of any psychological weaknesses.
Nishikori lost two straight service games, allowing Nadal to even the set at 5-5.
"I became nervous," Nishikori said. "I was anxious because I kept thinking about the medal."
Nishikori lost the tiebreaker in the second set.
The match went past the two-hour mark as it moved into the deciding third set.
As the sun began to set, Nishikori asked for a restroom break and did not return to the court for 10 minutes because the facilities were far away.
Nadal complained to the referee because he was kept waiting. As Nishikori walked slowly back to the court, the crowd booed, but he did not seem affected by the jeering.
(中略)
After his restroom break, Nishikori was able to refocus himself.
"If I can overcome this, I will be able to turn that into my asset," he said he told himself.
He returned to a more attacking style and finally bested Nadal in a match that lasted two hours and 49 minutes.
"It was totally different from four years ago," said Nishikori, who was competing in his third Olympics. "The last time, I thought I did pretty well making the quarterfinals, but this time I felt reaching the semifinals was nothing unusual."
The fourth seed won bronze and appeared confident about his prospects for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
"I don't know what will happen in four years, but I want to enter the competition with an even stronger feeling," Nishikori said.
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201608150034.html
今回注目した表現は、“had Nadal on the ropes”です。『ウィズダム英和辞典』(第３版、三省堂)を引いたところ、“(be) on [against] the rope”で「窮地に陥って(いる)」とありました。
LDOCEでは、“informal to be in a very bad situation, in which you are likely to be defeated”と定義されていました。
さらに、「英辞郎 on the WEB」で検索してみたところ、“have someone on the ropes”で「(人)を窮地[ダウン寸前の状態]に追い込む」とありました。この表現の元は、ボクシングの試合で追い詰められた選手がロープに引っかかるイメージを表現したものであるようです。『ウィズダム英和辞典』の第２義には「(ボクシングなどで)ロープに追いつめられて(いる)」とありました。(Blue Sky)
今回の表現は以前にも取り上げられております、ご覧ください。
