Nerve通常解释为“神经”，但是它也有“勇气”的意思。例如在我们要学的第一个习惯用语: get up the nerve里，它就表示“勇气”。

例句1：I'm trying to get up the nerve to walk in and tell my boss I wanta 20% raise or I'll look for another job where they'll pay me what I'm really worth.

我打算鼓起勇气到老板的办公室去，告诉他我想加薪百分之二十，否则我就要另谋高就，到愿意付给我应得报酬的地方去工作了。

有时候人们用work代替get，成为work up the nerve。我们再看个例子，说话的人很希望向他所钟情的女孩求婚，但却一直怯于启齿。

例句-2：I've been going with Susan for three years and I'm crazy about her! For six months I've been trying to work up the nerve to ask her to marry me, but I'm afraid all she'll do is laugh.

我和苏珊已经约会了三年了，我对她一往情深。最近六个月来我一直想鼓起勇气开口向她求婚，但我老觉得难以启齿，因为我怕她会一笑了之。