soften up

英 [ˈsɒfn ʌp]

美 [ˈsɔːfn ʌp]

（求助于人之前）讨好，安抚

柯林斯词典

• PHRASAL VERB (求助于人之前)讨好，安抚
  If yousoftensomeoneup, you put them into a good mood before asking them to do something.
  1. If they'd treated you well it was just to soften you up.
     他们要是对你好，也不过是为了讨好你罢了。

双语例句

• When I think you sat in a wheelchair to soften me up.
  你居然坐轮椅，跟我装可怜。
• First they would "soften up" an island, weakening the resistance by shelling the enemy strongholds with bombs from offshore ships.
  首先他们会“软化”该岛，以离岸船舰发射炮弹摧毁敌人的防线，削弱他们的守卫。
• Told her it would soften him up.
  我说那会让他心软。
• Soften me up for the big guns, eh?
  先软化我，再用厉害的武器，是吗？
• You'd soften up soon enough if I were blacky.
  小二黑一来管保你就软了！
• If they'd treated you well it was just to soften you up.
  他们要是对你好，也不过是为了讨好你罢了。
• You go in and soften father up, and then I'll ask him for the money.
  你进去先用好话软化父亲，然后，我再去向他要钱。
• Sometimes an expensive gift may be necessary to soften up a government official.
  有时为了使一位政府官员手软，向其赠送一份昂贵的礼物也许是必要的。
• The answer-I need to soften myself up ( for half an hour or so) before going to bed.
  答案是，在上床睡觉之前，我会花点时间，大约半小时，来放松自己。
• Belgrade did suffer through several days of artillery attacks and three days of aerial bombardment, which served to soften up the Yugoslav capital.
  贝尔格莱德遭受了连续几天的地面炮火和三天的空中轰炸，严重削弱了城防。