on the high ropes是什么意思？ropes指马戏团演员走的钢索。如果演员在高高的绳索上往下看观众，难免有“高人一等”的感觉，on the high ropes也就引申为“高傲，洋洋得意”。

1.He's been on the high ropes since he was elected president of the Student Body.
他自从当选为学生会主席以后就高傲得不得了。

2.The prizewinner was quite on the high ropes.
那位中奖者非常得意。

3.Puppet laughed at those broken lines above him on the high ropes.
木偶得意的望着上头断了的悬线大笑。

链接：
（1）on the ropes：处境岌岌可危，处于极不顺利的境地。
这个俚语来自拳击赛。频频挨打的拳击手在对方的步步相逼下，退到赛台边缘，只能靠在赛台四周的绳索上（on the ropes）， 尽量避免被击倒甚至被击败。来看下面两个例子：
The shop is on the ropes and must surely have to close soon.这家商店已到破产的边缘，肯定得关闭。
By repeatedly undercutting his price, his competitions soon had him on the ropes.竞争者们一再削价与他抢生意，很快就逼得他走投无路了。

【区分】on the ropes里，ropes指拳赛台的围绳；on the high ropes里，ropes是指马戏团演员走的绳索。这样就能理解仅仅少了一个单词high,on the ropes和on the high ropes词义相差甚远。

（2）learn the ropes/know the ropes：熟知内情、掌握秘诀。
该俚语从字面上理解是指了解绳索的相关情况，如果不是内行的人，怎么会知道这些呢？引申为“知道事情的内幕”，日常生活中常是取它的象征含义。
She's just started it'll take her a week or two to learn the ropes. 她是新手--要用一两个星期的时间熟悉情况。
He alone knows the ropes.就他一个人知道这事的内情。

（3）give one enough rope to hang oneself：自我暴露弱点、不击自破
Hang：上吊。这个俚语从字面理解是指给某人够长的绳子让他去上吊，也就是促使某人自取灭亡，引申为漏洞百出、不击自破。例：
Give a thief enough rope and he'll hang himself. 多行不义必自毙。
Johnny is always stealing and hasn't been caught. But give him enough rope and he'll hang himself. 约翰尼常常偷东西，却还没有被捉过。不过让他继续偷下去，他总会倒霉的。