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【今日主题】
And this morning we are about to begin a new lesson. In this lesson I'd like to share an idiom including "card" with you which is equal to this short sentence "Tell me the whole truth." that expresses the speaker is telling somebody to say everything honestly. Guess what it is. Let's get the answer from the following simple situational dialogue.
A : I want to ask Sara to marry me.
B : Lay your cards on the table. See what she says.
【答疑解惑】
It is "Lay your cards on the table." That means "to tell somebody honestly what your plans , ideas, etc. are". It can also be said as "Put your cards on the table".
Lay (put) one's cards on the table. 从字面意思来看：把某人的拍摊在桌面上，这样做不就是让对方知道自己的牌了。So , in oral English, 引申为：摊牌；（把计划和打算等）和盘说出。
【视野拓展】
We have a very idiom including "card" that is opposite to it. It's so lively that we can figure out it's real meaning. It is "play one's cards close to one's chest". It means keep one’s planes, ideas, etc. secret. play one's cards close to one's chest非常形象的表示出其意思为：守口如瓶，不漏声色，秘而不宣等等。从字面意思看：我们玩牌时就是把牌对于自己的胸前，不让别人知道。那也就引申出了上面的意思。What's more, it can be said as: keep one's cards close to one's chest or hold one's cards to one's chest.
There is another familiar idiom including "bush" which is equal to "Lay (put) one's cards on the table.". It is "Beat around bush." It is so lively that we can imagine it's meaning. 字面上说：绕着灌木丛打转转，那不就是说总打不到目标。So, it's similar to saying in Chinese: 拐弯抹角； 旁敲侧击。
这个人不想惹祸上身，知道很多事情就是不说出来，而这件事你有很想知道，你就会不高兴的说：He knew the matter perfectly well but held his cards close to his chest. I don't why he did so even if you are his best friend. 他很清楚这些事，但是就是守口如瓶。即使是他最好的朋友也这样，我真不知道他为何这样做。男生要逃的到女生的花心，很是累人的，要花钱，还得赔上自己的很多时间，可是人的忍受度是有限的，超越了，男生会说：I'm just going to put my cards on the table to tell you I would rather have a break-up with you because I cannot put up with you any more. 对不起，我要跟你摊牌了，我再也受不了你了，我决定和你分手。Yeah , sometimes we may have to bite the bullet, lay our cards on the table and end a romance. 是的，有时候我们必须忍受着痛苦，摊牌说出真心话而结束浪漫的爱情。这个人想加薪水可是老是对老板说他的业绩如何，老板并不知到他的目的是想加薪，因此这人的朋友就说：Why should you beat around the bush when asking for better wages. I think you should put your cards on the table in front of your boss. 你要加薪水有何必拐弯抹角呢？你要当着老板的面把话挑明着说呀。
