对于提枪上阵的考生来讲，高考确实令他们紧张异常；但对考生的父母来讲，高考怎能用一个“紧张”来简单形容？他们的紧张里有焦虑、有期望、更有溢于言表的关切和厚爱。他们得考虑孩子的饮食、孩子的乘车路线，甚至是孩子打的的车牌号……

请看《中国日报》相关报道：College entrance exam is often likened to thousands of people and horses trying to cross a narrow footbridge.

Concerned parents will have taken time off work to cook for their children. They'll have mapped out the route to the exam hall, booked hotel rooms nearby and looked out cabs with lucky number plates.

报道中的plate就是我们日常所见的“车牌”。如果您想强调“带有车牌号的车牌”，可在plate前面加上number；而如果您言谈的重心是在“车牌号”上，则可表达为plate number。例如：The car, with the plate number W856RKX, has fled the scene after running into the poor old man.（车牌号为W856RKX的肇事车辆撞了那位可怜的老人后从现场逃跑。）

另外，再介绍两个与plate相关的词组：put up one's plate指的是“医生挂牌行医”；而hand/give sb. sth. on a plate则是指“爽快地给某人东西”，如：You can't expect people to give you all the answers on a plate.（你不要指望别人会把答案顺顺当当地向你和盘托出。）


(英语点津陈蓓编辑）