American English is full of colourful expressions. One such expression is "to touch all bases".
There are four bases in baseball- first, second, third and home plate. When a baseball player hits the ball, he must run to each base- in order一and touch it with his foot. It is the only way to get a point. If the player hits the ball and fails to touch all the bases, the point will not be counted.
The importance of touching all the bases was shown at the start of the 1974 baseball seasons.
Hank Aaron was a player on the Atlanta Braves team. He was seeking the record for hitting the most home runs (全垒打).A home run is a ball that is hit over the wall. Aaron needed just one home run to equal the record held by Babe Ruth, the greatest hitter in baseball history. Aaron got that home run the very first time he had a chance to hit the ball. That gave him 714 home runs-the same as Babe Ruth. After that day, baseball fans held their breath every time it was Hank Aaron's turn to hit. When would he hit home run number 715?
The wait was not long. In the second week of the sea- son, Aaron again hit the ball over the wall. He had beaten Babe Ruth's record. But first, he had to run around the four bases. The other players on his team watched carefully to make sure he touched each one.
So, "to touch all bases" means to do what is necessary to complete an activity.
The expression is used in business and politics. No business deal or political campaign is really complete until you discuss all the problems involved. Or, as it is said, until you touch all bases.
