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发信人: roy_young(風呂中男子) 整理人: roy_young(2002-03-07 12:42:00), 站内信件 |
| 俚語不作怪 (中)/ 懷中
8. Rats desert a sinking ship：照字面意思是，老鼠見到船將沉沒時都逃走了。也就是指一些不忠誠的人，知道大勢已去，就紛紛辭職離開，以免將來捲入困境。（disloyal people desert a failing enterprise before it is too late; people leave when situation gets worse）例如： When the company was going to declare bankruptcy, the rats deserted the sinking ship. (當公司即將宣佈破產時，一些員工紛紛離職。) (rats 係指公司的 disloyal employees; sinking ship 是指公司。因為有特指的意味，所以 rats 和 sinking 前都用定冠詞 the。) On the verge of losing the election, the rats deserted the sinking ship. (在選舉失敗的邊緣，不忠誠的職工，相繼離去。) When President Nixon was under investigation, the rats deserted the sinking ship. (尼克森總統在被調查時，他周圍的人覺得大勢已去，紛紛離職。) 9. at one's finger tips：意思是東西近在手邊，十分方便。(something is very handy; very close to your hand) 例如： I keep my cell phone at my finger tips. (我把手機帶在身邊，使用十分方便。) He always keeps his girlfriend's phone number at his finger tips. (他一直把他女友的電話號碼帶在身邊，非常方便。) 10. It takes two to tango：照字面的意思是：需要兩個人才能跳探戈舞。也就是說：需要兩個人才能完成一件事；吵架也要兩個人；一個巴掌是拍不響的。（Two people are required to do the deed; or it takes two people to accomplish a task; or it takes two people to have an argument.）例如： You may not be able to accomplish it by yourself. Remember it takes two to tango. (你自己一個人也許不能完成這件事，記得：一個巴掌是拍不響的。) You both are responsible for the fight; after all it takes two to tango. (這次打架你們都要負責，畢竟一個人是打不起來的。) In order to have a baby it takes two to tango. (要生孩子，也要兩個人才行啊！) 11. A man's word is his bond：意思是他的話是非常可靠的，就像咱們所說的「言必信」，「一言既出，駟馬難追」的意味。（If I say something, I will do it no matter what will happen; my word is as good as a written contract）（bond意味contract）例如： He has always been an honest person as the saying goes, "A man's word is his bond." (他一向是位誠實者，就如俗語說「一言既出，駟馬難追」。) 也可以說： Don't worry about my promise, my word is my bond. （別擔心我的承諾，我說話是算數的。) (註：雖然這句口語也指女人，但通常不說：A woman's word is her bond.) 12. pretty is as pretty does：這多半是對女人說的，現在對男人說，倒是 handsome is as handsome does，意思是表面的漂亮不重要，內在美才是最重要。外貌美的人，更要改進自己的品德和修養，才能達到「貌美心亦美」的境界。(這也是長輩勸告年輕人的話) 例如： Many parents tell their children that pretty(handsome)is as pretty (handsome) does. (許多父母告訴兒女內在美更重要) As she becomes more mature, she will realize that pretty is as pretty does. (由於她更成熟了，她將體會到內在美的重要。) 這是一種事實或真理，也是一個固定的表達方式（fixed expression）所以動詞通常只用現在簡單式is和does，不用過去式。 (註：這句俗語據說是來自影片 "Forest Gump" 中的對白："Stupid is as stupid does"，意思是說：雖然一個人不聰明，但也要改進自己，盡量不要做出不聰明的行為。) 13. speak the same language：意思是彼此了解，志同道合，立場相同。(understand each other: take the same position) 例如： Hopefully, he and I speak the same language on this subject. (在這問題上希望他與我立場相同) 但是用在否定句，就要小心了。例如： Mr. Smith and his wife do not speak the same language. 別人也許誤認為：Smith 夫婦說的是不同語言(他說英文，她說中文)，這樣就失去片語的意義（lose sense of idiom) 所以要想改變句型，必須說得清楚，以免誤會。例如： The meeting did not go anywhere because they did not speak the same language. (會議毫無進展，因為他們立場不同。) 14. It's only a hop, skip and a jump：這個口語的意思是很靠近，距離不遠。（very close； not far away）（it 可指 distance 或 building）例如： The post office is only a hop, skip and a jump from our school. (從學校到郵局很近，幾步路就到了。) You can arrive there with a hop, skip and a jump. (你走幾步路就可以到達那裡。) You don't need a ride; it's only a hop, skip and a jump. (你不需要乘汽車，那只是幾步路。)（it 指 distance） 15. Everyone puts his pants on one leg at a time：照字面說：每個人站著穿褲子，每次只能用一隻腳。意思是你不比別人好多少，不必神氣巴拉，覺得了不起。(you are the same as others; you are no better than others) 例如： Don't be so arrogant; everyone puts his pants on one leg at a time. (不要那麼驕傲；大家都是差不多。) He is so snobby, but he should realize that he puts his pants on one leg at a time. (他是那樣神氣巴拉，但他應該了解大家都是一樣，好不了多少。) (註：雖然這句俗語也指女人，但通常不說：Everyone puts her pants on……) ---- 英语学习 日语学习 海外华人 完全英语 超时空要塞中国站点 我的语音聊天室 我的网上直播 你是第 |
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