keep your wits about you保持清醒

把无形的世界写成能捕捉、定义、计算的对象，学问立刻变成权力。

Here is all X, caught and calculated.

想说自己掌握全部信息时用，语气要稳；日常对朋友说会显得夸张。

I have the whole picture mapped out. ／ Everything is catalogued and accounted for.

literary

invisible world 连读，三个分词依次加重。

Here is all the budget, checked, capped, and tracked. 整份预算都在这里，核对过、封顶过、也追踪到。

两句排比都把条件放在后半，先立誓再亮狠话，气势一层压一层。

we shall find him out if ..., and I mean to crush him.

表决心或放狠话时用，对同事说不妥，容易显得攻击性太强。

We will track him down and finish this. ／ If he shows up, I will end him.

literary

find him out 连读，utterly 重读拉长收尾。

We shall find the leak if it is inside, and I mean to close it utterly. 只要漏洞在公司内部，我们就把它找出来，而且彻底堵上。

把警告包装成预告，再用 keep your wits about you 收尾，既安抚又施压。

you will witness X, so keep your wits about you.

提醒别人场面会很乱、别慌神时用；轻松场合说会显得太戏剧化。

Stay sharp, this will get strange. ／ Keep your head when it gets ugly.

正式

witness some 连读，wits about you 三词一气呵成。

You will see some wild numbers tonight, so keep your wits about you. 今晚的数据会很离谱，你可得保持清醒。

先捧对方是 learned man，再用 what signifies 把私人怀疑说成请教。

I have always wanted to ask a learned man what signifies X.

想礼貌地套话或请教敏感问题时用；对平辈用会显得太客气。

I have long wanted to ask an expert what this means. ／ What does it signify, in your view?

正式

wanted to ask 连读，what signifies 升调。

I have always wanted to ask a doctor what signifies that kind of pain. 我一直想问医生，那种疼到底意味着什么。