发信人: roy_young(金陵二胡)
整理人: roy_young(2001-09-13 04:11:38), 站内信件
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9. eleventh hour：意思是最後時刻（at the last minute）例如：
When all seemed hopeless, at the eleventh hour the rescuers arrived. (當一切似乎無望時，最後救護人員到達。)
Mr. Clinton pardoned Mr. Rich at the eleventh hour of his presidency. (柯林頓先生在總統任內的最後時刻赦免了 Rich 先生)
His eleventh hour rise to power surprised many people. (他的最後升官當權，令人驚訝。)
10. five-week wonder：這是指有些人常常換工作，不肯在一個工作裡幹得很久。(Someone who stays on a job for a short time) 例如：
Mr. Chen is a five-week wonder. (陳先生是位常常換工作的人)
He has been a five-week wonder for many years. (他多年來總是常換工作)
Most employees prefer not to hire a five-week wonder. (多半的雇主不喜歡聘用常換工作的人)
(註：老外不說 four- week 或 six-week wonder，也許他們覺得「五個禮拜」或「一個多月」總是「好聽」些。)
11. dilly-dally：意思是閒混、猶豫、磨磨蹭蹭的拖延時間（通常指小孩）(to waste time by loitering; generally refer to children）例如：
Don't dilly-dally; we need to go to the party right now. （不要消磨時間，我們要去參加宴會了。）
The child is dilly-dallying because he does not want to see the dentist. （這孩子在拖時間，因為他不願去看牙醫。）
12. big wheel：這是指大人物或重要有影響力的人(important or influential person) 一般也叫 big shot，top banana，top dog 或 VIP (Very Important Person) 例如：
We all know that Mr. Wang is a big wheel (big shot) in China. （我們都知道王先生是中國的大人物）
Are many big shots in Taiwan your friends？（許多在台灣的大人物是你的朋友嗎？）
Some VIPs from China visited our campus last week. （上週數位來自中國的重要人物來校參觀）
反之，small potato 就是小人物；普通、不重要的人(ordinary or unimportant person) 例如：
He is just a small potato in this organization. (他在本單位，只是一位小人物。)
13. common-law marriage：這是指美國有些州，規定男女同居若干時間後，可以變成合法夫妻。(也即所謂同居婚姻，或未舉行儀式的事實婚姻。) (After certain period of time some live-together couples can be considered legal marriage in specific U.S. states.）例如：
Only a few U.S. states recognize common-law marriage.（美國只有某些州承認同居婚姻）
所以可以說：
He（She）has a common-law marriage.
或者說：
He (She) is a common-law husband (wife.)
14. play hooky：這是指一些人藉口某種原因而逃學曠工。(making excuse for not attending school or going to work) 例如：
Mr. A always likes to play hooky when the weather is beautiful. (A 先生遇到美好天氣時，常常藉故不上班。)(可遊山玩水)
Schools usually keep a record for children who play hooky. (學校通常保存一項孩子藉故逃學的紀錄)
15. hanky panky：通常是指已婚男女的婚外情（fooling around from dating to sex）；也可指未婚者的談情說愛，但未必有性關係。（not necessarily having sex）(有人寫成：hanky-panky）例如：
There may be some hanky panky going on between these two co-workers. （這兩位員工也許在談情說愛）
He had hanky-panky with his secretary. （他與他的祕書有戀情）
Our boss tries to discourage hanky-panky in this company.（我們老闆不鼓勵在公司裡談情說愛）
注意：老外不說：
He（She）is hanky-panky.
但可以說：
He（She）has hanky－panky或There is hanky panky going on.
16. Achilles' heel：這是指一個人的缺點 (someone's weak point or spot)（係由希臘神話阿基里斯的腳跟致命弱點而來）例如：
All of us have our own Achilles' heel. (我們大家都有自己的缺點)
His damaged eyes have been his Achilles' heel. (他受傷的眼睛，成為他的弱點。)
Being too straight-forward and outspoken could become one's Archilles' heel. (說話太過爽直，可能成為一個人的缺點。)
17. tongue-in-(the)-cheek：意思是不誠懇、無誠意或假情假意的。(指口頭或書面)（insincere; not serious; can be verbal or written）例如：
I feel his conversation to be tongue-in-cheek. (我覺得他的談話不誠懇。)
Some people are good at verbalizing tongue-in-cheek stories. (有些人擅於說些不真實的故事。)
(verbalizing = speaking)
Whenever we talk or write to others, we should not be tongue-in-cheek.（不論對人說或寫什麼，都要誠懇。）
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