hold/keep sb/sth at bay
不让（敌人）接近；防止（问题恶化）；防止…侵袭；使…无法靠近；使......不能靠近
bay做名词可以解释为海湾或湖湾、分隔间、建筑物的突出结构、栗色马、低沉吠声、月桂树等。
这个短语可不是“要把东西放在海湾”的意思哦。请看：
Eating oranges keeps colds at bay.
吃橘子可以预防感冒。
Doing some exercise keeps cold at bay.
适当运动可以抵御风寒。
Exercise can help keep fat at bay.
体育锻炼可以防止发胖。
I'm trying to keep my creditors at bay.
我在竭力避开债主。
A thick wall keeps the noise at bay.
厚实的墙能隔音。
Charlotte bit her lip to hold the tears at bay.
夏洛特咬住嘴唇不让眼泪流出来。
Wool traps your body heat, keeping the chill at bay.
毛织品能够保暖御寒。
The overpowering despair that he'd fought so hard to keep at bay washed through the boy.
一直极力压制的绝望情绪终于将男孩击垮了。《柯林斯高阶英汉双解学习词典》
Monstrously inflated costs are designed to keep the hoi polloi at bay.
居高不下的生活开支势必会把老百姓逼入走投无路的境地。
However, as good as these services are, there are simple steps we can take to keep them at bay.
然而，虽然这些服务很完美，我们却可以采取简单方法远离它们。
六级真题- 2017年 12月
A coffee a day keeps the burden at bay!
每天一杯咖啡可以减轻负担！（每天一杯咖啡，不让压力靠近！）
试比较：
An apple a day keeps the doctor away!
一天一个苹果，医生远离我!