底线

dǐxiàn

HSK 7

底线 — dǐxiàn

1. bottom line; the essential point; the minimum acceptable outcome

   不管谈判怎么进行，安全永远是我们的底线。 bùguǎn tánpàn zěnme jìnxíng ānquán yǒngyuǎn shì wǒmen de dǐxiàn — No matter how the negotiations go, safety is always our bottom line.

2. the limit of what one is prepared to accept; the point beyond which one will not compromise

   我的底线是不能牺牲孩子的健康。 wǒ de dǐxiàn shì bùnéng xīshēng háizi de jiànkāng — My bottom line is that I won't sacrifice the children's health.

3. (sports) baseline

   发球时请站在底线后面。 fāqiú shí qǐng zhàn zài dǐxiàn hòumiàn — When serving, please stand behind the baseline.

4. (sewing) under thread (the thread running on the underside of fabric)

   缝纫机的底线需要定期更换。 féngrènjī de dǐxiàn xūyào dìngqī gēnghuàn — The sewing machine's under thread needs to be replaced regularly.

5. spy

   他们怀疑工厂里有底线在收集情报。 tāmen huáiyí gōngchǎng lǐ yǒu dǐxiàn zài shōují qíngbào — They suspect there's a spy in the factory gathering information.

6. informer

   警方逮捕了那名底线，他在给竞争对手通风报信。 jǐngfāng dàibǔ le nà míng dǐxiàn tā zài gěi jìngzhēngduìshǒu tōngfēngbàoxìn — The police arrested that informer; he was tipping off the competition.

7. plant (an agent placed within an organization to gather information)

   公司担心有人被竞争对手当作底线安插进来。 gōngsī dānxīn yǒurén bèi jìngzhēngduìshǒu dàngzuò dǐxiàn ānchā jìnlái — The company is worried someone has been planted by a competitor as an inside agent.