“take a dive”是英语中极具画面感的习语，其词源可追溯至20世纪初的拳击运动。在拳击比赛中，该短语最初指拳手为非法赌博获利或履行私下协议，故意倒地假装被击倒的行为，这种欺骗性战术让短语自带“蓄意为之”的核心内涵。随着语言演变，其语义逐渐跳出体育范畴，延伸为两大核心义项：
一是“故意示弱、认输或假装失败”，强调主观上的刻意为之，带有欺骗或妥协意味；
二是“（价值、质量、表现等）突然大幅下降、暴跌”，多用于描述抽象事物的急剧下滑，语义直观且极具表现力。
请结合经常例句反复推敲：
He took a dive in the poker game so that his girlfriend wouldn't feel embarrassed about losing all her money.
他在扑克游戏中故意输牌，以免女友为输光所有钱而难堪。
She refused to take a dive in the argument just to please him—honesty mattered more.
她不愿为了取悦他而在争执中刻意妥协，诚实对她来说更重要。
She knew that her chemistry grade might take a dive as a result of missing the final review.
她知道由于错过了最后的复习，自己的化学成绩可能会大幅下滑。
The company's profits took a dive last quarter due to the global supply chain crisis.
受全球供应链危机影响，该公司上季度利润暴跌。
The president's approval rating took a dive after the controversial policy was announced.
这项有争议的政策公布后，总统的支持率急剧下降。
Their relationship took a dive when he lied about his past.
当他隐瞒自己的过去时，他们的感情开始急转直下。
The enemy's combat effectiveness took a dive after their command center was destroyed.
敌军指挥中心被摧毁后，其战斗力大幅削弱。
Bilateral relations took a dive following the trade sanctions imposed by both sides.
双方实施贸易制裁后，双边关系急剧恶化。
After years of misunderstanding, their marriage took a dive and they finally decided to separate.
经过多年的误解，他们的婚姻走到了尽头，最终决定分居。
Their friendship took a dive when he borrowed money and never paid it back.
当他借钱不还后，他们的友谊便急转直下。
Everyone said he took a dive, but he insisted he was truly knocked out. 《愤怒的公牛》
所有人都说他打假拳，但他坚称自己是真的被击倒了。这句台词还原了短语的原始语义，精准对应拳击场景中“故意倒地认输”的核心含义，凸显了体育竞技中的争议与人性挣扎。
Once the public loses faith in the reform, support for the party will take a dive. 《纸牌屋》
一旦公众对改革失去信心，对该党的支持率就会急剧下滑。
此处使用短语的延伸义，生动描述了抽象概念“支持率”的快速下降，贴合政治题材剧的语境特点。
Our romance took a dive when I had to move to another city, but we promised to keep in touch.《初恋这首情歌》
当我不得不搬到另一个城市时，我们的恋情急转直下，但我们承诺会保持联系。
此处使用短语的延伸义，聚焦恋爱场景，用短语精准传达了距离对感情的冲击，符合青春爱情片的细腻基调。
For months, the young couple had been preparing for their dream wedding. However, when the groom lost his job suddenly, their plans took a dive. They had to cut down on expenses and even considered postponing the ceremony.（2023年新高考II）
几个月来，这对年轻夫妇一直在为他们的梦想婚礼做准备。然而，当新郎突然失业时，他们的计划急转直下（急剧恶化遭受重创）。他们不得不削减开支，甚至考虑推迟仪式。
The stock market had been stable for weeks, but after the release of the negative economic data, share prices took a dive of nearly 10% in a single day. Investors panicked and rushed to sell their stocks, leading to a short-term market chaos.（2024年北京卷）
股市已经稳定了几周，但在负面经济数据公布后，股价在一天内暴跌了近10%。投资者惊慌失措，纷纷抛售股票，导致短期市场混乱。
核心考点小结
“take a dive”的考查重点集中在语义辨析与语境运用：
一是区分其两大核心义项：“故意示弱/认输”与“急剧下降”，需根据场景判断——体育、竞争、人际关系场景多为前者，经济、数据、表现等场景多为后者；
二是掌握其固定搭配，主语多为“relationship、profit、price、rating、performance”等抽象名词，不能用于描述具体物体的物理下落；三是注意其非正式语体特征，多用于口语、新闻报道和影视剧，书面正式文体中可替换为更规范的表达。
