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发信人: roy_young(ⅲ) 整理人: roy_young(2003-04-22 18:34:28), 站内信件 |
| 口語佔了美國生活重要的部分，以下便是一些常見的美式口語，供讀者參考。
(1) to let (someone) off the hook：意思是擺脫困境或脫手 (let someone get out of difficulty) ，或是減少壓力 (to ease the pressure)。例如： This program will let some people off the hook on penalty payments. (這個計畫對某些人可以減低罰款的壓力) (也就是 they won't have to pay penalty) It would be a good idea for employers to let their employees off the hook sometimes. (有時老闆讓員工輕鬆一下，也是一個好主意。) The new president has let his predecessor off the hook concerning the sex scandal. (新總統讓前任總統解脫緋聞案的困境) The committee will let the CEO off the hook if he resigns his post. (假如執行長辭職的話，委員會就會讓他擺脫困境。) 但“He is on the hook for the business failure.”則是指他為生意失敗而負責。 (on the hook = be responsible) (2) to be on the mend：這多半是指經濟或健康情況正在逐漸好轉或走向康復之道 (situation is improving and getting better economically or physically) 例如： Many people feel that the American economy is not on the mend. (許多人認為美國的經濟尚未好轉) 。 After a long illness, he is now on the mend. (經過長期生病後，他正在康復中。) = After a long illness, he is getting back on his feet. Relations between China and America are now on the mend. (中美兩國的關係現正在改善中) After a business loss, he is now getting back on his feet. ( 生意失敗後，他正逐漸好轉。) (說法較含蓄) (3) to give the (或one's) final word on (something)：意思是對某事做出最後的決定 (to make a final decision for something) 例如： My boss will give the final word on this project. (我的老闆對這個計畫將做最後的決定) Wait until I give you the final word before you act. (在你行動前請等我的最後決定) Can the U. S. President give the final word on international war？ (美國總統對國際戰爭有決定權嗎？) Our college president has given his final word on my retirement. (本大學校長已經批准我的退休) (4) to air (one's )dirty laundry(或linen) in public：意思是公開了自己家裡的秘密或醜事，也就是家醜外揚。 (to reveal one's family secret) (linen 是指內衣褲) 例如： People do not want to air their dirty laundry in public. (人們不願在大眾面前宣揚家醜) Politicians usually hate to air their dirty linen to the media. (政治人物通常不願對媒體吐出醜事) (5) to go into orbit：意思是勃然大怒，暴跳如雷或是無法自我控制。 (to get really angry; lose control completely) 例如： When Mr. A learned of his wife's affair, he went into orbit. (當 A 先生得知太太與人有染時，他十分生氣。) 或： Her husband went into orbit over his wife's infidelity. She has gone into orbit because she just found out her husband is running around(with another woman). (她發現老公有外遇時，就暴跳如雷。) (通常“running around”多指男女間的胡搞，所以後面的“with another man或woman”都可省略) (6) to break (one's) back：意思是壓力很大 (a lot of pressure or very stressful) 例如： As the work almost breaks his back, he has to get another job. (由於工作壓力太大，他必須另找其他職業。) Last year her boss broke her back with a big challenge. (去年她老闆給她很大挑戰式的壓力) Mr. Chen broke his back working on his M.S. thesis. (陳先生為他碩士論文承受很大壓力) (M.S. = master of science; thesis 一般指碩士論文；博士論文多用 dissertation) 但也可以表示真正的背部受傷(physically damage one's back) 例如： The old fellow lifted a heavy box and accidentally broke his back. (老傢伙搬起重的箱子而傷了背部) (7) to make a slip of the tongue：slip 本是溜走，滑落的意思；tongue 是舌頭。就是指沒有經過思考，或無意中說錯了話 (say something carelessly)，許多人不願向人致歉，也用這句話當「藉口」。例如： Please don't get upset about what I have said. I just made a slip of the tongue. (我所說的，請不要介意，我只是無意中說錯了話。) He should be more cautious;he has made another slip of the tongue. (他要格外小心才是；他又說錯了話。) 至於「I should not have said that」意思是我真希望沒有說那些話，但已說了，沒辦法，只好感到抱歉了。另外，「I put my foot in my mouth」也是說錯話的意思。 (8) to be (或 get) out of the woods：如果有人 lost in the wood 當然是在困境中。所以這句口語的意思是脫離困境。不過現在一般人也指較健康或較愉快。 (feel better or healthier) 例如： With regard to his financial situation, he is now getting out of the woods. (他的財政情況，目前正在脫離困境。) After surgery, he is out of woods. (他手術後已脫離險境) 通常 wood 係用複數 (9) to give (someone) the (或 a) cold shoulder：意思是對他人冷淡、疏遠或輕視 (ignore someone or pay no attention to someone) 例如： After being his girlfriend for years, she finally has given him the (a) cold shoulder. (當了他幾年的女友，她最後冷落疏遠他。) Having given her a cold shoulder, Mr. A never contacts with her again. (對她疏遠後，A先生不再與她來往了。) Pride has given Mr. Lee the cold shoulder to all assistance from his friends. (由於高傲，李先生不願接受朋友的一切幫助。) (10) You can't see the forest for the trees：意思是如果你只看個體的樹，你就不會看到整片的森林。也就是說，假如太重視細節，就會忽略了整體大局，即所謂「見樹不見林」。 (You are so involved in details that you may miss the overall situation；or you can't see the whole picture because of many small details.) 例如： On this matter, you do not consider the consequences；you can't see the forest for the trees. (關於這件事，你沒有考慮到後果；你真是「見樹不見林」。) (也就是後果的考慮更重要) They ignored the overall problems because they could not see the forest for the trees. (他們忽略了整個大局，因為他們太重視細節了。) 註：這句口語，很少用在第一人稱 I 或 We，多半是用在第二和第三人稱。 (11) What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander：goose 是雌鵝，gander 是雄鵝。意思是對女人好的，對男人也是好的 (What is good for female is also good for male) 。或是女人可以做的事，男人也可以做，多半指男女關係。 (If women can do something,men can do it also；generally referring to fooling around.) 例如： Women should be elected president, as what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. (女人應該被選當總統，因為女人可以做的事，男人也可以做。) Both of husband and wife are running around；What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. (他們夫妻都在外面胡搞；女人喜歡的，男人也喜歡。) 註：也有人說成：What is good for the goose is good for the gander. 雖然也可改為：What is good for the gander is good for the goose. 但俗語還是要保持原文較好。 (12) to stick out like a sore thumb：意思是受人注意 (to be noticeable) 或顯得不自然 (to be obviously unusual) 例如： Due to her mode of dress, the woman stuck out like a sore thumb. (由於這女人的穿著格調，她很引人注目。) His hair style has stuck out like a sore thumb, compared to the other colleagues in the office. (他的髮型與其他同事相較之下，顯得受人注意。) I think her outfit will stick out like a sore thumb. (我想她的外表穿著，將會使她感到不自然。) ( 當然這種看法，因人而異，也許有人還覺得很得意呢！) (13) to go (或 get) through all the peaks and valleys：意思是在人生旅途中，歷盡辛勞，受盡挫折 (to go through ups and downs) 例如： As life is not always smooth, We have to get through all the peaks and valleys. (由於生命的道路不是平平順順的，我們要歷盡挫折。) We need positive attitude in order to get through all the peaks and valleys. (我們應有樂觀積極的態度，才能歷盡辛酸，逆來順受。) With several tough cancer treatments, Mr. B has gone through all the peaks and valleys. (經過幾次癌症的治療，B先生備受艱難與痛苦。) (14) to wear (one's) heart on (one's) sleeve：意思是過於爽直或明顯地流露自己的感情 (to show one's emotion in a visible manner) 例如： Sometimes people are not good at wearing their hearts on their sleeves. (人們有時不善流露他們的感情。) Since she has been divorced, she wears her heart on her sleeve. (因為她離婚了，她總是感情外露。) (思念或難過) In front of his girlfriend, Mr. A always wears his heart on his sleeve. (A 先生在他女友面前很會流露他的感情。) (也就是 He shows he loves her.) (15) to pick up the tab：這是指承擔費用或為他人付帳 (to pay the bill) 例如： Many Chinese people are willing to pick up the tab when they invite friends to restaurants. (許多中國人在餐館請客時，比較願意付帳。) Mr. Wang can well afford to pick up the tab. (王先生有能力付帳。) Who would pick up (或get) the tab for this expensive party. (這個昂貴的派對，誰要付錢呢？) Mr. A picked up the whole tab for the research. (A先生承擔所有的研究費用。) (16) to take off the gloves：意思是積極採取行動或努力奮鬥 (to be more aggressive; to take action or to fight harder) 例如： The city officials will take off the gloves tomorrow when the tax amnesty period ends. (一旦納稅特赦時間終止時，市政官員明天將要採取行動了。)(就是要collect delinquent taxes) The Chinese should take off the gloves and deal with Japanese economic aggression. (中國人應該採取行動，以因應日本的經濟侵略。) (17) to get (something) off the ground：意思是使某件事發生或完成某件事(to make something happen or to accomplish something) 例如： We have never gotten this project off the ground. (我們一直沒有完成這個計畫。) With all our efforts, the new campaign finally got off the ground. (藉著我們大家的努力，這次新的競選終告完成。) Do you believe that more terrorism will get off the ground in ths U.S.？(你認為美國會再發生恐怖活動嗎？) (18) to tip (one's) hat：意思是向某人致敬 (to pay respect to someone) ，據說從前許多西洋人戴帽子，如果在路上見到熟人，不能停下來聊天，就用手觸帽沿或使帽子傾斜些，表示打招呼或致敬。 (這裡的tip，是動詞，意思是使傾斜。) 例如： To those who have made many contributions to our school, we tip our hats. (那些對本校有貢獻的人，我們向他們致敬。) During Mr. A's speech, he tipped his hat to his successor. (A 先生演講時，他向接班人致意。) (未必有戴帽子，只是 make a compliment 而已。) As soon as the President of the U.S. arrived, many people tipped their hats. (當美國總統到達，許多人向他致敬。) 另一句口語「hats off to someone」，也是向某人致敬。例如： Hats off to you for doing such a good job. (19) to be on a roll：意思是向前推進或連連交好運 (moving forward or everything goes well) 例如： Mr. A has been on a roll in the past two years. (A先生過去兩年連續走好運。) The campaign for the city council seats is now on a roll. (市議員的競選正在積極進行。) 〔注意〕：若指他運氣不好，不能說：「He is on a bad roll.」，只能說：「He has a bad streak of luck.」至於「to be onward and upward」多半是指工作上的升遷。 例如： His career has been onward and upward. (他的事業蒸蒸日上。) ---- 自らの手で生み出した者になぜ害を加えるの！？ 命の重さを知りなさいっ 
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