lifelines, sandpapering over , untraceable

President Gives U.S. Carmakers a Short Lifeline
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG and BILL VLASIC
President Obama on Monday set out strict standards that the carmakers must meet to get more government aid.



命綱

日本大地震：
"I would like to make every possible effort to restore lifelines such as roads, gas and water, because the victims are in a tough situation," Abe, whose approval ratings have continued to slide two weeks before an election in the upper house of Parliament, said after surveying the damage.


By DAVID STREITFELD
Boat owners are sandpapering over the names and filing off the registry numbers, doing their best to render the boats, and themselves, untraceable.

lifeline

yahoo等辭典很不完備：n. - 救生索, 生命線, 重要航線
日本語 (Japanese) ：救命索; 命綱; 生命線; 唯一の頼り.
這「命綱」最有意思的是用「綱」 之古義：維繫網的粗繩。說文解字：綱，網紘也。書經˙盤庚上：若網在綱，有條而　不紊。唐˙杜甫˙又觀打魚詩：蒼江魚子清晨集，設網提綱取魚急。

いのち-づな 3 【命綱】
(1)生命の安全をはかるため用いる綱。
(ア)足場の悪い高い所で働く時、体を縛っておく綱。
(イ)潜水夫が水に潜る時、身につけていく綱。
(ウ)難破船に投げ渡す綱。
(エ)荒天時に乗員の歩行の安全をはかって船の甲板上に張りめぐらす綱。
(2)生きるよすがとなるもの。

三省堂提供「大辞林 第二版」