In allowing Lehman to go bust when competitors balked at taking it on, Hank Paulson, the treasury secretary, attempted to draw a line in the sand.

在竞争对手拒绝接受后，美国财长保尔森试图通过允许雷曼兄弟破产来在沙子中划开一条线。

Success would demonstrably draw a line in the sand to deter other Arab autocrats who resort to attacking their people rather than dialogue and genuine reforms.

而一旦成功，就能明确的划定底线，阻止阿拉伯世界的独裁者采用镇压民众而非对话和真正实施的改革手段来解决问题。

But this complacency misses two important facts about the situation: the extremism of the modern G.O.P., and the urgent need for President Obama to draw a line in the sand against further extortion.

但是这种过于乐观的看法没有考虑到其中的两个重要事实：其一是当代共和党的极端主义态度；其二，奥巴马迫切需要划出一条清楚的界限，断然终止进一步的勒索行为。

You must draw a line in the sand and confess that you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired, before you will be able to go forward.

你必须在地上划一条线，在你生病和疲倦时承认你生病和疲倦，直到你可以重新出发。

Draw a line in the sand and declare a date in the near future: "Starting next Thursday, our code coverage will always rise."

做好规划并在近期内宣布一个日期：“从下周四启动，我们的代码覆盖率将不断增长”。