“at bay”作为英语中极具画面感的习语，词源可追溯至14世纪的狩猎场景，其原始表达为“at the bay”，“bay”本指猎犬追踪猎物时的吠叫，后引申为“将猎物逼至绝境”的动作。最初用于描述狩猎者将鹿、野猪等猎物围困在角落或水边，使其无法逃脱，猎物只能转身反扑或被动防御，这一狩猎场景的隐喻义逐渐固化为通用习语。核心语义为：陷入绝境，陷入困境；处于被牵制、无法脱身的困境，或通过主动行动使他人/事物陷入难以蔓延、无法扩张的状态，兼具被动与主动双重用法：被动层面指自身“陷入绝境、难以摆脱”，主动层面指“牵制、遏制、摆脱、避开他人/事物的发展”。语义核心是“空间或局势上的受限”，可用于描述人、群体、抽象概念（如危机、谣言）等，情感色彩多为中性或略带紧张感，适配正式与非正式语境。“keep...at bay”表示“阻止、遏制、牵制”。“hold + 宾语（the tears）+ at bay”表示“主动牵制/遏制某人/某物”。
如：
The stag at bay is a dangerous foe.; Don't pursue a beaten enemy.
穷寇勿追。
I'm trying to keep my creditors at bay.
我在竭力避开债主。
Charlotte bit her lip to hold the tears at bay.
夏洛特咬住嘴唇不让眼泪流出来。
Prisoners armed with baseball bats used the hostages to hold police at bay.
手持棒球棒的囚犯们挟持了人质，使警察无法靠近。
Wool traps your body heat, keeping the chill at bay
毛织品能够保暖御寒。
Eating oranges keeps colds at bay
吃橘子可以预防感冒。
The company’s innovative technology has helped it keep competitors at bay for years. While other firms are still developing similar products, it has already occupied the majority of the market.
该公司的创新技术使其多年来一直牵制着竞争对手。当其他公司仍在研发类似产品时，它已经占据了大部分市场。
During the negotiation, both sides tried to keep their opponents at bay by putting forward reasonable demands. Finally, they reached a mutually beneficial agreement.
谈判中，双方都通过提出合理要求来牵制对手，最终达成了互利共赢的协议。
She tried to keep her ex-boyfriend at bay by avoiding his calls and social media messages, not ready to face the pain of their breakup.
她试图通过不接电话、不回社交媒体消息来避开前男友，还没准备好面对分手的伤痛。
Living alone in a foreign country, she made a habit of calling her family every weekend to keep loneliness at bay. Without these calls, she would have struggled to adapt to the new life.
独自在国外生活，她养成了每周给家人打电话的习惯以排解孤独。没有这些电话，她很难适应新生活。
Monstrously inflated costs are designed to keep the hoi polloi at bay.
居高不下的生活开支势必会把老百姓逼入走投无路的境地。
The overpowering despair that he'd fought so hard to keep at bay washed through the boy.
一直极力压制的绝望情绪终于将男孩击垮了。
In their long-distance relationship, regular video calls helped keep doubts at bay and strengthened their trust.
在异地恋中，定期的视频通话帮助消除了疑虑，增进了彼此的信任。
The couple decided to attend couples therapy to keep conflicts at bay, as their constant arguments were threatening their marriage.
这对夫妇决定接受婚姻咨询以避免冲突升级，因为频繁的争吵正在威胁他们的婚姻。
Teachers often use interactive activities to keep boredom at bay and engage students in class.
教师经常采用互动活动来避免课堂枯燥，让学生参与进来。
The company launched a series of promotional campaigns to keep competitors at bay and maintain its market share.
该公司推出一系列促销活动以牵制竞争对手，维持市场份额。
Diplomats held urgent talks to keep tensions at bay in the conflict zone, preventing further violence.
外交官举行紧急会谈以遏制冲突地区的紧张局势，避免更多暴力事件发生。
The soldiers used defensive barriers to keep the enemy at bay until reinforcements arrived.
士兵们利用防御工事牵制敌人，等待援军到来。
She relied on her close friends to keep loneliness at bay after moving to a new city alone.
独自搬到新城市后，她依靠亲密的朋友来排解孤独。
The government implemented strict regulations to keep inflation at bay, stabilizing the national economy.
政府实施严格监管以遏制通货膨胀，稳定国民经济。
He struggled to keep his negative emotions at bay during the date, afraid of ruining the chance to start a new relationship.
约会时他努力克制负面情绪，生怕毁掉开始新恋情的机会。
Hold the line! Keep them at bay! We cannot let them breach the walls!
守住防线！牵制住他们！绝不能让他们攻破城墙！《指环王：双塔奇兵》
Elizabeth tried to keep Mr. Collins at bay with polite refusals, but he refused to take the hint.
伊丽莎白试图用礼貌的拒绝避开柯林斯先生，但他却不明白暗示。《傲慢与偏见》
The president used a strategic press conference to keep critics at bay, deflecting attention from the scandal.
总统通过一场战略性的新闻发布会牵制批评者，转移公众对丑闻的注意力。《纸牌屋》
In order to keep the spread of the virus at bay, the local government has implemented a series of prevention and control measures, including mandatory mask-wearing in public places.
为了遏制病毒的传播，当地政府实施了一系列预防和控制措施，包括在公共场所强制佩戴口罩。（2024年全国高考英语新课标II）
注意：需区分“被动陷入困境”（如“be kept at bay”）与“主动牵制他人”（如“keep sb./sth. at bay”）两种核心用法，避免混淆主动与被动关系，这是中高考、四六级的高频考点。
