美国习惯用语 | go downhill 走下坡路

办公室附近的中餐馆大不如从前了，自从换了老板以后，一天不如一天。It's going downhill。

Downhill 的字面意思是走下坡路，有衰老、恶化的意思。有个店主说，由于城里开了几家大的商店，他的生意越来越难做。

• Ever since that huge department store came into town, my business has gone downhill. I can't compete with their product range or their prices. My old customers try to be loyal but after a while they can't afford to be.
  自从城里开了那家大百货商店以后，我的生意就越来越差了。不论是商品种类还是在价格上，我们都竞争不过他们。我的一些老顾客设法还是到我这儿来买东西，可是过了一段时间，他们也不能老这样作了。

作为习惯用语，go downhill有衰落的意思。这跟中文有相似之处。在中文里“下”也常常表示衰落。比如江河日下，每况愈下。“上”则代表繁荣和兴旺，比如蒸蒸日上，天天向上。

下面是一个人在说他的婚姻状况。

• Our relationship has gone downhill ever since I lost my job. I don't think my wife respects me anymore. She used to be so happy to see me, but now sometimes when I come home from looking for a job she ignores me.
  自从我失业以来，我们的关系越来越不好。我觉得我的妻子不再尊重我了。以前她看到我很高兴，可现在有时候我去找工作回来她理都不理我。