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美国习语之当机立断,不受欢迎

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为了帮助大家更好的学习英语。今天小编给大家带来了美国习语 ,希望能够帮助到大家,下面小编就和大家分享,来欣赏一下吧。

美国习语: 当机立断,不受欢迎

Son, either go on to college or go out and find yourself a job. It's time to fish or cut bait. Mister Wilson, you asked me to hold that red convertible until you made up your mind whether to buy it. Well, I've got another customer who wants it, so it's time for you to fish or cut bait. Let's not invite Joe to the party: he's such a cold fish he'll spoil it for everybody else. I'm not going to vote for that man for senator -- he's too much of a cold fish. I shook hands with him once and it was like shaking hands with a dead mackerel.

美国英语里有不少成语或俗语是和鱼,也就是英文里的fish这个字有关的。以前我们也曾经给大家介绍过几个,今天我们再来给大家讲两个和fish有关的习惯用语。有些人在处理问题的时候很果断,但是也有不少人前怕狼后怕虎,在处理问题的时候左顾右盼,迟迟不能做出决策。比如说,几个朋友一块儿去钓鱼。可是,其中一个人心不在焉,根本没有好好钓鱼。这时,他的朋友就会对他说:"Fish or cut bait。" Fish or cut bait在这个情况下的意思就是:"得了,你要不想钓鱼就乾脆去干别的。" Fish or cut bait从字面上来解释就是:你要就钓鱼,否则就切断你的鱼饵。换句话说,也就是你要不做这个,那就做那个,总得有所决定。Fish or cut bait作为俗语的意思就是:不要举棋不定,而要当机立断。 比如说,有一个孩子刚从中学毕业,可是他什么也不想干,天天在家游荡。他的父亲就对他说: "Son, either go on to college or go out and find yourself a job. It's time to fish or cut bait!" 他说:"儿子呀,你要就去上大学,否则就出去给自己找个工作。是作出决定的时候啦!" 下面的例子是一个经营汽车的人在对一位顾客说话: "Mister Wilson, you asked me to hold that red convertible until you made up your mind whether to buy it. Well, I've got another customer who wants it, so it's time for you to fish or cut bait." 这个汽车商人说:"威尔逊先生,你要我把那辆红色敞篷车先留一下,等你作出决定究竟买不买。现在,另一位顾客想要买那辆车,所以,我得请你作出最后决定了。" 今天我们要给大家介绍的第二个习惯用语是:cold fish。Cold fish是指那些对人很冷淡,很不友好,根本没有意思和别人友好相处的人。这些人往往不受人欢迎。 下面这个例子就能说明cold fish的意思。这是一些朋友在准备举行一个聚会,他们正在讨论请哪些人来参加这次聚会,其中一个人说: "Let's not invite Joe to the party: he's such a cold fish he'll spoil it for everybody else." 这个人说:"别请乔伊来参加这次聚会。他这人对人太冷淡,太不友好。他来了会使其他所有人都扫兴的。" 要是因为对人冷淡,不合群而不受人欢迎,不被人邀请去参加社交活动,那倒是小事。一个人能不能和别人友好相处往往还会影响到他的事业前途。下面这个例子就是最好的说明: "I'm not going to vote for that man for senator -- he's too much of a cold fish. I shook hands with him once and it was like shaking hands with a dead mackeral." 说话的人很明显是一个选民。他说:"我才不投那个竞选参议员的候选人的票呐。他实在是个不友好的人。我有一次和他握手,那冷冰冰的样子简直是像和一条死鱼握手一样。" 今天我们讲了两个和fish,也就是鱼有关的习惯用语。第一个是fish or cut bait。Fish or cut bait的意思就是:作出决定,不是干这个,就是去干那个。我们今天给大家介绍的第二个习惯用语是cold fish。Cold fish就是指那些对人很冷淡,性情怪僻,很不合群的人。

美国习语:随便聊天,小道消息

On Friday nights I usually go to a movie. But it was raining so hard last night I just stayed in the dorm to sit around and shoot the breeze with a couple of friends. One thing I enjoy about shooting the breeze, you can relax and say anything you want to. You're among friends and nobody takes things seriously. What do you think of the news that our regiment is being transferred to California. It's not announced officially yet, but this morning I got it through the grapevine. I don't always believe what I get through the grapevine, but it's true at least half the time and and it's a lot faster than whatever the army tells you about what we're doing.

大家都知道谣言传播的速度是飞快的。有句话说,谣言已经走了半个地球,而事实还刚刚在穿鞋。人们坐在一起闲聊,天南地北,说长道短的,传播流言菲语,这是很普遍的一种活动。美国有好多成语和俗语是形容这一方面的。例如to shoot the breeze。To shoot就是发射、开枪、发炮等,breeze就是阵阵微风。To shoot the breeze这个习惯用语使人脑子里出现了一幅画面,也就是:一些好朋友没事聚在一起闲聊天,毫无顾忌地想说什么就说什么。下面我们来听听一个大学生说他昨晚在干什么: "On Friday nights I usually go to a movie. But it was raining so hard last night I just stayed in the dorm to sit around and shoot the breeze with a couple of friends." 这个大学生说:"一般来说,星期五晚上我总是去看电影的。可是,昨晚上雨下得好大呀,所以我就呆在宿舍里和两个朋友一起聊天。" 下面这个人说出了为什么他喜欢shooting the breeze。他的话恐怕也说出了一般人心里的想法: "One thing I enjoy about shooting the breeze -- you can relax and say anything you want to. You're among friends and nobody takes things seriously." 这个人说:"我很喜欢聊天,因为你可以很放松,想说什么都行。你是和朋友在一起,没有人会很认真的。" 要是你问一个人,你说的那个消息是从那儿听来的,他可能会说:through the grapevine。grape是葡萄,grapevine就是葡萄藤。Through the grapevine的意思实际上就和中文里说的:通过小道消息来的一样。也就是说,这个消息是经过人们口头传播传到他这儿来的,他也不知道到底是从谁那儿开始的。 早在一百多年前,当美国南北战争正在进行的时刻,士兵们把那些非官方渠道来的消息,也就是秘密地在他们中间传播的消息称为grapevine。下面这个例子就是一个士兵正在把一个消息告诉他的要好朋友: "What do you think of the news that our regiment is being transferred to California. It's not announced officially yet, but this morning I got it through the grapevine." 这个兵对他的朋友说:"你对我们部队调到加利福尼亚州去的消息是怎么想的。这个消息还没有正式宣布,我是今天早上通过小道消息听来的。" 人们对于小道消息的看法倒是各不相同。有的人确信不误。可是,下面说话的人则不然: "I don't always believe what I get through the grapevine, but it's true at least half the time and and it's a lot faster than whatever the army tells you about what we're doing." 这个人说:"我不完全相信小道消息。但是,小道消息至少有一半是确实的,而且比部队领导告诉我们的要快多了。" 以上我们讲了两个和闲聊天、小道消息有关的习惯用语。今天我们讲的第一个习惯用语是:to shoot the breeze。To shoot the breeze就是几个朋友在一起随便聊天。我们今天讲的第二个习惯用语是:trough the grapevine。Through the grapevine是指小道消息。

美国习语:赶快行动,开玩笑

Come on, shake a leg, son, or you're going to be late for school. Let's shake a leg there, you guys! I got to get this truck unloaded and on the way back to the warehouse before dark. My roommate said this girl had told him she wouldn't mind going out with me. But when I invited her to a movie, I learned that he was just pulling my leg. Hey, stop pulling my leg, will you! I don't believe that girl really said she likes me and would like me to take her out.

美国的成语和俗语,也和其他语言一样,有许多都是由身体各个部份的名称组成的。例如:To follow your nose是指"一直走"。另外还有:To play by ear,意思是看着办。其他还有用hand 和foot这些字组成的习惯用语。 在这次节目里我们要向大家介绍由腿,也就是leg这个字组成的习惯用语。中文里也有许多和腿这个字有关的俗语,像拉后腿、飞毛腿等。我们今天要讲的第一个习惯用语是:To shake a leg。Shake的意思是"摇动"。 Leg当然是指腿。你可能已经猜到,to shak a leg就是赶快行动的意思。 举个例子来说吧,一个妈妈对儿子说: 例句-1: "Come on, shake a leg, son, or you're going to be late for school." 这个妈妈说:"儿子,你快点儿吧!否则你上学要迟到了!" 下面我们再举一个例子。这是一个卡车司机在对卸货的人说话: 例句-2: "Let's shake a leg there, you guys! I got to get this truck unloaded and on the way back to the warehouse before dark." 他说:"喂!你们这帮人快点儿吧!我得把这车货卸完,在天黑前赶回仓库去呢。" 下面我们要讲的一个也是由leg这个字组成的习惯用语是:To pull one's leg。To pull one's leg 初看起来好像和中文里的"拉后腿"的意思差不多。但是,千万不要被表面现象所迷惑。To pull one's leg的真正意思是逗别人,开别人玩笑的意思。有时候,有的朋友故意讲一些话来骗我们,后来才发现他是在开玩笑。 例如,一个大学生上了同学的当,事后他说: 例句-3: "My roommate said this girl had told him she wouldn't mind going out with me. But when I invited her to a movie, I learned he was just pulling my leg." 这个大学生说:"我的同房间同学说,那个女孩愿意和我一起出去玩。可是,当我请她去看电影的时候,我才发现我那同学是逗我,开我的玩笑。" 要是这个大学生聪明一点的话,他当时就可以对他的同学说: 例句-4: "Hey, stop pulling my leg, will you! I don't believe that girl really said she likes me and would like me to take her out." 这句话的意思是:"喂,你别逗我行不行!我才不信那个女孩真的说了她喜欢我,还要我邀她出去玩。" 今天我们讲了两个由leg这个字组成的习惯用语。它们是:To shake one's leg,这是指赶快动作的意思。 To pull one's leg,这是指和别人开玩笑。和leg这个字有关的俗语里还有一个很有趣的说法,那就是:Break a leg! 从字面上来看,break a leg难道是断了一条腿?或是倒霉?不是,break a leg的确切意思是祝愿别人成功。例如,你的朋友明天要去参加高考,你就可以对他说:Break a leg! 不管你明天要去干什么,我们在这儿也希望你Break a leg! 「美国习惯用语」第二十一讲就到里。欢迎下次再一起来学习美国习惯用语。再见。

美国习语: 刚正不阿,惬意闲谈

Pumpkin, I hear that some of the students at your school are fooling around with drugs. But I hope, young woman, that you stick to your guns and keep saying no. I have to admire the ladies who 50 years ago worked so hard to get women the right to vote. People just laughed at them at first but they stuck to their guns and got the Congress to pass the 19th Amendment back in 1920. Say, Bill, how about coming back to my room after class? I'll get a couple of cold sodas and we'll shoot the breeze for a while. At the staff meeting this morning the boss told us she wanted to see us at our desks busy working instead of spending so much time standing around shooting the breeze with each other.

To stick to one's guns Shooting the breeze 今天我们要讲的两个俗语是和枪,也就是英语里的gun这个字有联系的。我们要讲的第一个俗语是to stick to one's guns。对于士兵来说,在被很多敌人包围的情况下还要能持续装炮弹发射的话,他们肯定需要很多勇气。这种精神在英文里就是to stick to one's guns. To stick to one's guns从字面上来解释是指枪。但是这个俗语现在几乎和枪没有什么关系,它的意思就是:在日常生活中坚持原则,稳步前进,不屈服外界的压力。比如说,一个爸爸对他在大学念书的女儿讲话: 例句-1: Pumpkin, I hear that some of the students at your school are fooling around with drugs. But I hope, young woman, that you stick to your guns and keep saying no. 这位爸爸说:"小鬼,我听说你们学校的学生里有吸毒的现象。我希望你坚持正道,坚决抵制这种恶习!" 事实上,世界上有许多事都是靠坚忍不拔的精神才能办成的。下面我们再来举个例子: 例句-2: I have to admire the ladies who fifty years ago worked so hard to get women the right to vote. People just laughed at them at first but they stuck to their guns and got the Congress to pass the 19th Amendment back in 1920. 这个人说:"我很钦佩以前那些女士们,她们五十年前努力为妇女争取选举权。开始,许多人都笑话她们。但是,她们坚定不移,最后在1920年终于促使国会通过了美国宪法的第十九项修正案。今天我们要讲的第二个俗语虽然没有gun这个字,但是和开枪也是有关的,这就是shooting the breeze。Shoot就是开枪的意思。Shooting the breeze就是在很轻松、很愉快的气氛下和朋友聊天。例如,一个教室里的学生在等教授来上课。其中有两个学生是同乡。这两人中的一个说: 例句-3: Say, Bill, how about coming back to my room after class? I'll get a couple of cold sodas and we'll shoot the breeze for a while. 这个学生说:"喂,比尔,上完课你到我宿舍去吧。我去买两瓶汽水,咱们聊回儿天,你看怎么样?" 学生上完课聊一会儿天当然是无可非议的。可是,在某种情况下聊天可能会出问题的。你听下面这个人说的话就明白了: 例句-4: At the staff meeting this morning the boss told us she wanted to see us at our desks busy working instead of spending so much time standing around shooting the breeze with each other. 这个人说:"今天早上我们办公室开会的时候,我们的头儿说,她要看到我们都坐在自己桌子那里忙着干自己的活,而不是花好多时间站在那儿闲聊天。"

美国习语:做得很对,自己摸索

Your school report is right on the beam: you followed directions exactly and got all the facts down in the right order. I thought Mr.Claghorn's speech was right on the beam last night. Just like he says, we need more money on educating our children. He makes a lot of sense to me. When Jones started up business in a new town, he didn't know anybody, so he had to fly by the seat of his pants. Driving to a friend's house last night I took the wrong turn off the main highway and got lost. I didn't have a road map but I flew by the seat of my pants and after 20 minutes I found the street I was looking for.

美国英语当中有许多成语和俗语都和过去的历史有关系。例如,美国开拓西部的过程给美国语言增添了不少色彩。可是,美国的一些习惯用语也反应了各种科学在现代化道路上的发展。这次的[美国习惯用语],我们要讲两个和飞行有关的习惯用语。 四十年前,乘飞机可是一件新鲜事,是一个值得向朋友夸耀的冒险行动。可是,现在乘飞机已经变得和乘公共汽车差不多了。美国的航空公司每天大约有一百万乘客。空中飞行变得如此普遍的原因之一是由于电子导航系统的发展,这样飞机就可以在无线电电波发出的领航信号指挥下准确地从一个机场飞到另一个机场。这些尖端的科学设施已经变得非常普遍,因此美国英语里有一个表达形式,那就是:Right on the beam。Right on the beam在日常生活中的意思就是一个人做某件事做得很对。下面就是一个例子: 例句-1:"Your school report is right on the beam: you followed directions exactly and got all the facts down in the right order." 这听起来好像是一个老师在对一个学生说话。他说:"你的报告写的很对,你准确地按照要求写了,而且每个事实也都按照正确的次序写了进去。" 下面这个例子是一个人在评论那个竞选州长的候选人发表的讲话: 例句-2:"I thought Mr.Claghorn's speech was right on the beam last night! Just like he says, we need to spend more money on educating our children. He makes a lot of sense to me." 这个人说:"我认为克拉格霍恩先生昨晚上讲的话完全正确。就像他说的,我们应该花更多的钱在教育孩子方面。我觉得他讲的话很有道理。" 像电子导航系统这样现代化的安全设施在以前是根本没有的。在使用无线电电波,雷达和空中交通管制系统前,飞行员只能根据地面的铁路、河流和水塔那样的标记来决定他们的航向。要是一个飞行员不得不在云层里飞,或在气候不好的情况下飞行的话,那他只好靠自己的猜测来决定方向了。这在英语里就是:To fly by the seat of his pants。现在人们用To fly by the seat of his pants来形容某种局面,也就是你在做某件事的时候没有明确的指导,也缺乏足够的知识。下面这个例子就可以说明这个词汇在日常生活中的用法: 例句-3:"When Jones started up business in a new town, he didn't know anybody, so he had to fly by the seat of his pants." 这是说:"当琼斯在一个新的地方开始经营他的生意的时候,他在那里一个人都不认识。所以他只好全靠自己摸索着办。" 我们再来举个例子: 例句-4:"Driving to a friend's house last night I took the wrong turn off the main highway and got lost. I didn't have a road map but I flew by the seat of my pants and after twenty minutes I found the street I was looking for." 这个人说:"昨晚在我开车去一个朋友家的路上,我在一条高速公路上拐错了一个弯,结果就迷失了方向。我当时又没有地图。我只好凭着自己的猜测开,过了二十分钟我终于找到了我要去的那条路。" 以上我们讲了两个来自空中飞行的习惯用语。 一个是:Right on the beam,在日常生活中这句话的意思就是一个人做某件事做得很对。另外一个习惯用语是:to fly by the seat of my pants,这是来形容某种局面,也就是你在做某件事的时候没有明确的指导,也缺乏足够的知识。




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