Cost an Arm and a Leg——不惜代價

** excessively expensive; exorbitantly high price; costs

outrageous amount of money

~~ 天價；不惜代價；不惜一切代價；價格昂貴；巨貴無比；貴的要命；代價很大；花費極大

~~ sky-high price; cost a fortune; cost a pretty penny; cost a bundle; cost a pretty sum; pay through the nose; be ultra expensive; be a highway robbery

!! Charles II, the King ofEngland,ScotlandandIreland, On 23rd October 1680, granted a patent right to Sir Thomas Armstrong and Colonel George Legge to manufacture copper halfpennies for use inIreland. The coins were later brought to the American colonies by Irish emigrants fleeing the Williamite Wars. The phrase "It will cost you an Arm and a Leg (a halfpenny)" was an abbreviation of the patentees' names.

一六八○年十月廿三日，英格蘭、蘇格蘭和愛爾蘭的國王查理二世授予湯瑪士 · 岩士唐爵士(Thomas Armstrong)和佐治 · 萊格上校(George Legge)製造在愛爾蘭使用的半便士銅幣的專利權。這些硬幣後來被逃離威廉派戰爭的愛爾蘭移民帶到美洲殖民地。短語“It will cost you an Arm and a Leg（半便士）”便是專利權擁有人的姓名縮寫。（註：Armstrong中的“Arm”和Legge中的“Leg”）

!! This hyperbole probably has its American origin as a criminal slang in 1930s. It was used to express a desperate determination to do something even if it cost an arm and a leg.

這誇張語可能源於一九三○年代的美國犯罪俚語。它被用來表達不惜一切代價去做某事的決心。

>> Cristiano Ronaldo, famous European football player, with a 3.5 year contract, joined the Saudi Arabian team Al-Nassr for an arm and a leg annual salary of US\$200m.

歐洲足球名將C朗拿度以兩億美元的天價年薪，加盟了沙特阿拉伯球隊艾納斯，雙方簽約三年半。

>> It is our duty to bring back this family heirloom even if it costs an arm and a leg.

我們有責任不惜代價將這件家傳之寶買回來。

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