Bite the Bullet-咬緊牙關

To bite the bullet:  咬緊牙關; To get something unpleasant over with because it is necessary to do so. (To bite the bullet in a scenario is to perform the task regardless of its impact).

Example:

  • The students have decided to bite the bullet and study for the test.
  • The couple decided to bite the bullet and sell their home in order to move to a retirement home

(Reuters, 2022/7/8)

Chinese firms are staying put in Russia for the moment despite a growing exodus of Western companies – albeit bracing for growing uncertainty – taking a cue from Beijing’s stance of refraining from criticizing Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

儘管西方企業大舉撤離，俄羅斯境內的中國公司仍然按兵不動，多少是因為北京的政策不願批評莫斯科入侵烏克蘭。但是這些公司也都在防備日益增加的不確定因素。

 

Chinese firms are likely pausing to assess their supply chain’s vulnerability given the “devilishly complicated” nature of the foreign direct product rules. At least for now, it appears that China Inc is trying to conduct business as usual in Russia and is ready to bite the bullet.(by Josh Horwitz, Correspondents)

基於外國直接投資規則「極其複雜」的特質，中國公司目前的等待(暫停)有可能是在評估其供應鏈有多脆弱。這些公司至少眼前照常經營在俄國的業務，並準備咬緊牙關撐下去。

(New York Times, 2022/3/9)

It’s hard to imagine “The Godfather” without Al Pacino. His understated performance as Michael Corleone, who became a respectable war hero despite his corrupt family. The actor was a rising star of New York theater with just one movie role, in the 1971 drug drama “The Panic in Needle Park,” when Francis Ford Coppola fought for him, against the wishes of Paramount Pictures, to play the ruminative prince of his Mafia epic.

很難想像沒有阿爾·帕西諾的”教父”電影—他低調扮演邁麥可·柯里昂，雖然出身黑道家庭，卻成為受尊敬的戰爭英雄。帕西諾當時是紐約劇院的明日之星，只拍過一部電影，1971年的《毒海鴛鴦》。導演法蘭西斯·科波拉跟派拉蒙影業意見相左，但他極力替帕西諾爭取，希望由他來扮演這個深思熟慮的黑手黨王子角色。

In an interview with Pacino, he talked about his first meeting with Coppola. “He saw me onstage but I never met him. He had written “Patton” by that time, and he sent me a script for a wonderful love story he had written [which was never produced]. He wanted to see me. That meant I had to get on a plane and go to San Francisco, which is something I was not used to. I thought, is there any other way to go? I can’t tell this guy to come all the way back here, can I? So I said I’ll bite the bullet and I went. I spent five days with him.”(By Dave Itzkoff, Reporter)

帕西諾在接受採訪時，談到了跟科波拉首度會面的情形。「他看到舞台上的我，但我從未見過他。那時他已經完成《巴頓將軍》的劇本，他寄給我的是他寫的一個精彩愛情故事(但是後來沒有拍成電影)。他說他想見我，這表示我必須坐飛機去舊金山。我不太習慣搭飛機，所以我就想還有沒有別的方法去？我又不能叫那傢伙千里迢迢來我這裡，對吧？所以我只好咬緊牙關去了，我和他待在一起五天。」

 

Photos: IndieWire, historyextra

Sound: ICRT newsblog