make or break 復習
毎年恒例の韓国の大学受験についての記事からです。
Cheering crowds greet South Korean students taking make-or-break college entrance exams
Five hundred students stand in front of the school's main gate. With determined attitude, they take off their school uniform jackets, raise their fists in the air and, with all their might, yell as loud as they can. Their voices together form a loud thunder. But this eye-catching performance is not a prep rally for a football or basketball game -- it's South Korea's annual event to cheer on students who take the college entrance exam.
As part of the country's tradition, on the day before the national exam, high schools in South Korea throw exuberant ceremonies to cheer up students who leave for the exam. The eve of the exam is considered an important part of test preparation. Students check out their seats at the exam site so they won’t get lost on the biggest day of their lives.
South Korea is a competitive country where nearly 70 percent of high school graduates enter college. This year, nearly 590,000 students sat for Thursday's exam -- officially called the College Scholastic Ability Test -- that will most likely determine their paths to a successful career.
取り上げる表現は"make or break"です。『ジーニアス英和辞典』第４版（大修館）で調べてみると、「…の成否を握る」とありました。"make"「成功する」か"break"「失敗する」かというところから連想できます。つまり、韓国の学生にとって大学入試が人生を左右する大事な試験であることが分かります。LDOCEでは、"something that is make-or-break will lead to either success or failure"と定義されています。(Akim)
‘make-or-break’business - 田邉祐司ゼミ 常時英心：言葉の森からmake-or-break#2 - 田邉祐司ゼミ 常時英心：言葉の森からmake-or-break deal - 田邉祐司ゼミ 常時英心：言葉の森から
