发信人: roy_young(風呂中男子)
整理人: roy_young(2002-05-21 12:18:42), 站内信件
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以下是美語中常用的口語。在此整理列出，並稍加解釋，希望您在日常生活中，也能派上用場。
(1) to pick up the pieces：意思是設法彌補心理或感情上的創傷，希望恢復正常生活。 (emotionally put one's life back together) 例如：
Since her divorce, she has picked up the pieces. (自從離婚以來，她已彌補感情創傷，恢復正常生活。)
After his girlfriend left him, he is picking up the pieces (of his broken heart) . (他女友遺棄他之後，他正在彌補破碎的心。)
Some people feel that Taiwan should pick up the pieces and achieve political and economical stability. (有人認為台灣應該重整旗鼓，實現政治和經濟的穩定。)
但也可以指真正的拾起許多的碎片。 (要看上下文的意思而定) 例如：
He picked up the pieces after he broke the glass. (他打破玻璃後，拾起碎片。)
(2) to run around in circles：意思是瞎忙或空忙一陣而沒有什麼結果 (act very busy but not accomplish anything) 例如：
Mr. A always tends to run around in circles. (A先生常有瞎忙一陣的傾向。)
The parents told their children to stay focused and not run around in circles. (父母告訴孩子要堅定目標，不可瞎忙一陣。)
(to stay focused=to stay in focus=to keep the goal or a result in mind)
After his retirement he will try not to run around in circles. (他退休後，不要做沒有目標的瞎忙。)
如果只是“to run around”，則是指與人交往或到處遊玩。例如：
Don't run around with a bad crowd. (不要與壞人為伍。)
They have been running around together for some- time. (他們交往已有些時候了。)
(3) to open a can of worms：照字面來說，如果打開一罐蠕蟲，全部蟲子就會到處蠕動爬行，要想控制，可不容易。引伸而言，就是增加麻煩，添加困難或製造更多的問題。 (to add more difficulties；have more troubles or create more problems) 例如：
Don't open a can of worms by discussing this touchy issue. (不要談論這個敏感問題而增加麻煩。)
When Mr. A asked about wages, he really opened a can of worms. (A先生問到工資時，反而增加更多問題。)
Mr. Chen has opened a can of worms because of his controversial belief. (因為陳先生具爭論性的信念，使他添加許多問題。)
有時也可真正表示「打開一罐蠕蟲」，如蚯蚓：
While fishing, he usually opens a can of worms. (他釣魚時，通常都要打開一罐蠕蟲。)
(4) to fill (one's) shoes：意思是替代某人的職位或為某人工作 (to take someone's place or do someone's job) 例如：
I will fill his shoes while he is on vacation. (他休假時，我要代理他的工作。)
When he retires, his son will fill his shoes. (他退休後，他兒子將替代他的職位。) 或
He will set out to fill his father's shoes. (set out = to try or begin)
(set 的動詞時態 = set, set,setting)
也有人用：to set out a pair of shoes for (someone) to fill，意思也是任命某人擔任某種職位。例如：
Mr. Bush set out a (big) pair of shoes for Mr. Powell to fill as Secretary of State. (布希先生任命Powell先生擔任國務卿的重任。)
Mr. Wang has set out a pair of shoes for his son to fill as Minister of Education. (王先生讓他的兒子擔任教育部長。)
(5) to scratch (one's) head：意思是搔頭，表示對問題或事情的迷惑或為難，不知如何答覆或應付才好。 (puzzle about something why it happened) 例如：
After the terrorist attacks in New York, many Americans have been scratching their heads. (恐怖分子在紐約襲擊後，許多美國人很難瞭解為何會發生。)
You may have to scratch your head after working on this project. (你從事這個計畫後，也許會懷疑為什麼要這麼做。) 也就是：
You wonder why you started this project.
His strange action made me scratch my head. (他的奇怪行動令我費解他的動機)
My student was scratching his head over my question. (我的學生抓耳撓腮不知如何回答我的問題)
但是也可以指真正的抓頭皮：例如：
Dandruff makes Mr. Lee scratch his head all the time. (頭皮癢使李先生常常抓頭)
(6) to have a black cloud hanging over (one's) head(s)：是指過去的某種煩惱或所做的錯事或傻事，一直還在腦際中盤旋 (to have certain trouble following you around; did something bad or foolish in the past ) 例如：
Some people have a black cloud hanging over their heads. (一些人會對自己過去所做的錯事，難以忘懷。)
We all should try to avoid having a black cloud hanging over our heads. (我們都要避免做錯事，免得將來耿耿於懷。)
(註：即使做了許多錯事或傻事，black 前面也不用 many 或 several，而且 cloud 後面也不加 s。把它集合起來，當為一樁事。)
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