Hair-raising和中國俗語“寒毛直豎”很相像。據(jù)說巨大的恐懼能使人體的毛發(fā)或者貓身上的毛往上豎立起來。這也許就是這個習慣用語的出典。我們聽個例子，但是先得學個生詞: cub。 Cub是食肉動物的幼仔。在我們的例子里指小熊仔。
    My daughter and her boyfriend had a hair-raising time hiking in the mountains -- they met a black bear with her cub. But they stopped， stayed quiet and finally the bears went away slowly without bothering them.
    我女兒和男朋友在山里徒步旅行時跟帶小熊的黑熊狹路相逢。這可真是段令人毛骨悚然的經(jīng)歷。他們當時停下腳步，屏息靜氣，黑熊終于慢步走開了，沒打擾他們。
    可以想象他倆和熊對峙的那段經(jīng)歷有多可怕，所以這段話里的hair-raising就是令人毛骨悚然的。
    Hair-raising常用來描繪萬分驚險的處境。我們再看個例子，這回說的是遇上龍卷風時的險境。當龍卷風刮起的時候，會有漏斗狀烏云直壓地面。烏云隨即挾帶著旋風橫掃大地，風速高達每小時二百公里，所到之處危及生命財產(chǎn)。
    It was hair-raising! There was a terrible rushing sound，the windows blew in and I saw tree-limbs sailing by. I heard loud bangs and crashes -- I thought my house would blow away!
    這真是驚險萬分。隨著那可怕的沖擊聲，窗戶都被刮下來掉進屋里。我看到屋外飛過的樹干，又聽到震耳欲聾的碰撞擊毀的聲音。我想我那房子也要被刮走了。