on the brink of ...

正如你所知, on the brink of 解「在...之邊緣 」, 即是「即將面臨某情況/ 局面」。
多算用於負面意思。
This kind of animal is on the brink of extinction. (瀕臨絕種)
The country is on the brink of civil war. (即將陷入戰爭)
They managed to pull the company back from the brink of disaster.
(令公司…幸免於難)
其實, 所謂去到邊緣 , 係指咩邊緣呢? brink of a cliff = 懸崖邊緣, 可想而知, 去到邊緣即是會跌下懸崖 (危險 = 比喻 「負面」)。

圖片參考：http://tw.yimg.com/i/tw/ugc/rte/smiley_1.gif


2008-08-25 12:19:12 補充：
根據Yahoo 字典, 雖然 brink 解「邊緣」, 但這意思並非可以形容任何事物, 尤其指懸崖,江河等的「邊緣」。

致於佢的用法, Yahoo 字典亦解釋, 通常用於形容死亡, 危險, 戰爭等的邊緣

Yahoo例句 (又係負面用法)

He brought the country to the brink of war.

The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.

2008-08-25 12:32:05 補充：
根據 Dictionary.com

brink = the edge or border of a steep, dangerous place or of river

e.g. on the verge of tears; on the brink of bankruptcy 破產,倒閉

2008-08-25 12:32:22 補充：
brink = The point at which something is likely to begin; the verge

e.g. "Time and again the monarchs and statesmen of Europe approached the brink of conflict" 衝突, 鬥爭 (W. Bruce Lincoln)

2008-08-25 13:08:43 補充：
根據幾本字典的解釋, 雖然無明確表示, 但都感受到brink 的含意。

其實, 係比喻身處懸崖, 江河「邊緣」般的危險, 隨時會面臨一個危險的情況, 形勢或者局面。在多個例子中, 形容公司/ 國家/ 集體的subject 居多, 甚少找到形容個人的例子, 除左 on the verge of tears; on the brink of bankruptcy 破產,倒閉 。但係 on the brink of bankruptcy (由於沒有全句例子) 可能都係指「公司」破產, 倒閉, 而並非指個「人」。

2008-08-25 13:17:39 補充：
更正:

而並非指「個人」。

俚 - slang - very informal words, phrases.

The boy does not know the danger, he is on the brink of death.

positive or negative - It depends on the structure of the sentence.