每日一词学英语(92): damper

今年夏天英国雨水比较多，这不，外面又在下雨。The UK's "barbecue summer" is starting to look like a bit of a washout. 看样子BBQ是要泡汤了。（From Guardian, 29 July 2009: Rain puts dampers on 'barbecue summer'）

put a damper on sth (BrE also put a dampener on sth) (informal) to make sth less enjoyable, successful, etc.
*Rain put a bit of a damper on the event.
*Recession in the early nineties put a damper on growth.
*John told us he had lost his job, which put a damper on the celebrations.

damper的本意是“挡风板”（a piece of metal that can be moved to allow more or less air into a fire so that the fire burns more or less strongly）或“制音器”（a device in a piano that is used to reduce the level of the sound produced），这里的意思是“抑制因素”（one that deadens, restrains, or depresses），一般用作put a damper on或put dampers on，也可以用作cast a damper on或throw a damper on。

从环保的角度看，BBQ少了倒是好事，不过要牺牲一些人的口福了。