•Campaign leaders were caught flat-footed when the opinion polls suddenly started to swing the other way.当民意调查的结果突然倒向另一方时，竞选运动的领导都陷入了束手无策的境地。

•a flat-footed political campaign一次平淡无奇的政治运动

•As with all the best American comedies, the sharpness of the script made the average British sitcom seem embarrassingly flat-footed.与所有最好的美国喜剧一样，剧本的细腻使一般的英国情景剧相形见绌，显得乏味无趣。