咱们中国的孩子啊，哪儿都好，就是太腼腆，尤其是在上语言课的时候，明明知道答案，就是不敢举手来回答问题。每每碰到这种情况，我们能做的——就是点名儿了~于是，这句话就经常能在课上听外教提到 : "No one seems inclined to ask a question, will you start the ball rolling, Tom?"

这前半句大家肯定理解起来都没问题，inclined 就是想做或倾向于做某事的意思，关键就在后半句里面儿那个"start the ball rolling", 你可千万别耿直地想象成“让球滚起来”哈，它其实是一句地道的短语，就是"带头儿开始做某事"的意思，也就是我们平时常说的“那谁谁，你给起个头儿（你给打个样儿）”，所以上面儿那句话的正确解释是"似乎没人想要提问呐，汤姆，你能开个头儿吗？"

start/set/get the ball rolling

着手干，开个头；开始做(活动、谈话、发言等)；带头做；开始进行某种工作；打开局面；抛砖引玉；拉开序幕

【En】

To set something, often a process, in motion; to act to cause something to begin.

使某事(通常是一个过程)处于运动状态; 采取行动使某事开始。

To do something that starts an activity, or to start doing something in order to encourage other people to do the same.

做某事来开始一项活动，或开始做某事来鼓励其他人也这么做。

To open or initiate (an action, discussion, movement, etc).

开始或发起（行动、讨论、运动等）。

To start an activity or do something which other people will join in with later.

开始一项活动或者做一些其他人以后会加入的事情。

● To start the ball rolling, the government was asked to contribute £1 million.

为了启动这个项目，要求政府捐赠100万英镑。

● Let me say a few words, just to set the ball rolling.

我先来说几句，算是抛砖引玉吧。

● I decided to set the ball rolling and got up to dance.

我决定带个头，就站了起来跳舞。

● Once you get the ball rolling, everyone wants to be involved.

一旦你开始行动，每个人都想参与其中。

● I will start the ball rolling by introducing the first speaker.

首先，我要介绍第一位演讲者。

● I think it will be easier to become comfortable driving now that I've set the ball rolling with driving lessons.

我想，既然我已经开始学习驾驶课程了，驾驶起来会更轻松。

● Let's tell jokes.Who would like to start the ball rolling all tell the first joke?

我们讲笑话吧。谁愿意开个头讲第一个笑话。

● Evans set the ball rolling with a £1 million donation to the charity.

埃文斯率先向慈善机构捐赠了100万英镑。

● I've already started the ball rolling. I've set up meetings with all sorts of people.

我已经带头儿行动了，安排好了跟各种各样的人见面。

● Consider having a senior person start the ball rolling with a particularly crazy idea so that others feel less intimidated about speaking up.

可以考虑让一位资深人士先提出一个特别疯狂的想法，这样其他人就不会害怕说出自己的想法了。

● Well , to start the ball rolling , how about lunch ?

那么，作为开始，一起吃顿午餐怎么样?

● Does that make a difference, or did he and others just start the ball rolling?

这有什么不同吗?还是他和其他人刚刚开始?

● Her words started the ball rolling.

她的话起到了抛砖引玉的作用。

出处：见配图水印