polish the apple

奉承拍马，献媚取悦这种恶习恐怕有悠久的历史，在语言中也有所反映。在英语中便有不少表示这一意义的词语，今天要介绍的polish the apple便是其中之一。苹果是英美人喜爱的水果之一，为别人把苹果擦得光光亮亮的，自然讨人欢喜，这也许就是这个成语的由来吧！做这种事的人也就由此得到了apple-polisher之名：

He always appears to be eager to help the teacher, not to show the teacher respect, but just to polish the apple.
他总是很急于要帮老师的忙的样子，并非是表示对老师的尊敬，只不过是讨好老师罢了。

I despise those people who polish the apple for the boss at work in order to get a promotion.
我看不起那些在工作时拍上司马屁以得到提升的人。

Everybody knows that he is an apple-polisher, he owes his present position to the little favours he has done to his superiors.
谁都知道他是个马屁精，他能有今天，就是因为他对上级所施的种种小恩小惠。

lock, stock and barrel

这个成语由三个名词构成，lock这里指的是枪的扳机，stock是枪托，barrel是枪筒。扳机、枪托、枪筒，这三样东西加起来不就成了一杆完完整整的枪了吗？正是。所以这三个名词加起来构成了一个状语，解作“完完全全地、全部、统统”，相当于completely, totally等副词：

As they were going to move to the north, they would sell the farm lock, stock and barrel.
他们打算搬到北方去住，所以将把整个农场全部卖掉。

We are not just buying the equipment of the factory, but we are going to buy the factory and we are going to buy it lock, stock and barrel.
我们不仅买工厂的设备，我们要把整座工厂统统买下来。

The soldiers were ordered to destroy the power plant before evacuation lock, stock and barrel so that it would not fall into the hands of the enemy.
士兵们接到命令在撤退前把电力厂全部彻底地毁掉，以防落入敌人之手。