“卖关子”,原指说书人(pingshu performer)说长篇故事,每次总在说到重要关节处停止,借以保持悬念(stop a story at a climax to keep the listeners in suspense),吸引听众接着往下听。
现在用来比喻说话、做事在紧要的时候,故弄玄虚,让人着急,英文可以翻译为“deliberately mystify something at a crucial point in the talk or in doing business”,或“keep people guessing”。
别卖关子了,快告诉我们那场足球赛的结果。
Don’t keep us guessing. Tell us the result of that football match.