take up the slack (idiom)
1.分擔重任
He stepped in to take up the slack, making several big baskets.
他挺身而出來分擔重任，幾次在重要關鍵得分。
As right fielder Abreu deals with his offensive skid, Matsui has picked up the slack and his contributions have not gone unnoticed.
當右外野手阿布雷尤面臨打擊低潮時，松井分擔重任，他的表現大家有目共睹。
2.分擔任務
They say a summary eviction of the U.S. would not serve the new government’s interests, since Iraqi security forces are in no position to pick up the slack.
他們說立即逐出美軍不符合新政府的利益，因為伊拉克治安部隊無法分擔任務。
The U.S. will have to take up the slack left by departing allies.
美軍必須分擔盟軍撤離後留下的任務。
3.分擔責任
If Europe’s own screening process isn’t up to the job of uncov-ering terrorist backgrounds, U.S. au-thorities can’t take up the slack.
如果歐洲本身的調查過程查不出恐怖份子的背景，美國當局也無法分擔責任。
4.協助幫忙
In Pakistan, the government has all but given up on caring for the mentally ill and private donors have had to pick up the slack.
在巴基斯坦，政府幾乎已經放棄了照顧精神病患，私人慈善機構必須協助幫忙。
5.彌補缺口
Colombia’s main exports, coffee and oil, have suffered in recent years, but other exports are picking up the slack.
哥倫比亞的主要外銷品咖啡和石油在最近幾年損失嚴重，還好其他外銷彌補了缺口。Disappearing dotcoms made no difference to his bottom line, since traditional companies would pick up the slack.
不斷消失的網路公司對他的營收沒有影響，因為傳統公司會彌補缺口。
資料來源：京文出版社【系列四】高階英漢翻譯詞典
資料來源：京文出版社https://www.gainwind.com.tw/
