Chief table pounder is the person who is the most ardent¹ champion of a new or different way of doing things by slapping office furniture (usually a board table) with the flat of an open palm for emphasis. It's rather like using a judge's gavel to impose order in court.

 

Chief table pounder（首席拍桌官）指大力拥护新鲜的或者与众不同做事方法、且表现强势的人物。之所以叫“拍桌官”，是因为他们会通过用手掌击打办公家具（多为会议桌）表面的方式来强调自己的观点。这种行为很像是法官在法庭上敲击法槌来施行法令。

 

To show conviction to colleagues across a board table, they use palm-down gestures to emphasize their key speaking points. Without actually striking the tabletop, they just pronate their open palm--flip it down, parallel to the table's surface-and proffer² it as a sign. Reach the gesture forward, while moving it up and down like a baton³, to drive home their most important ideas. Without realizing why, listeners will sense they have greater confidence in their words.

 

为了向坐在对面的同事表明信心，他们会用手掌向下的姿势来强调他们讲话的重点。其实他们不用真正用手掌击打桌面，只需将手掌轻轻平放在桌面上，以此作为一种暗示。向前伸出手掌，像棍子一样上下挥舞一番，然后他们心目中最重要的观点就顺利通过了。一旁的听众也会毫无缘由地觉得他们对自己的观点信心十足。

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