He was terrified of the high notes, full of the usual performer's superstitions: a bent nail kept in his pocket, and a quick cry of "Malocchio!" if anyone mentioned bad luck.

高音使他害怕，所以他也有一般表演者的迷信：放一根弯曲的钉子在口袋里，如果有人提到坏运气，就快速的叫喊“Malocchio ！”

youdao

I can't hammer this nail into the wall; either it's bent or I must have struck a brick.

这颗钉子我敲不进墙，也许钉子弯了，要么我必定是碰上了砖头。

youdao