流利英语脱口出
How to Say It 1.up a gum-tree进退两难,进退维谷 注解:指“胶树”。阿拉伯胶树长得很高,一个人爬上这种树,就很难下来,因为树身光滑,靠地面处又没有树枝;另一种说法源于一头被追捕的野兽奋力逃走,危急中爬上一棵带有黏汁的树,于是处于了危险的境地,所以此语比喻人处于“进退维谷”的境地之中。 A: Now he is up a gum-tree. B: We must go to his aid. A: Yeah, let’s go now, OK? B: No problem. A:他现在陷入了两难的境地。 B:我们得帮帮他。 A:好吧,现在就去,可以吧? B:没问题。 2.up the creek身处险境 注解:美国习惯用语,早期美国人旅行时沿河道走。由于江河往往有支流(creek),不熟悉的人容易把支流当做主河道,而支流的尽头往往是盐碱地或沼泽地。当旅行者发现时,往往已经陷入困境了。Up the creek由此产生,在口语中表示“陷入困境”“遭遇困难”,后又引申为“不正确的”等。 A: I was up the creek last month. B: What happened? A: I encountered the snow slide when I went skiing in the Alps. Fortunately I was saved by the staff. B: That was a near thing! A:上个月我遭遇了险境。 B:怎么了? A:我去阿尔卑斯滑雪时遇到了雪崩,幸亏工作人员救了我。 B:好险啊! 3.up to the hilt彻底,到极点 注解:此语中hilt指刀、剑、工具等的木柄,如:be armed up to the hilt全副武装。 A: I’d back him up to the hilt any day. B: Why are so kind to him? A: He’s my brother. B: So that’s how it is! Now he is in trouble, but I believe he will rise to his own feet again. A: Thanks for your belief. A:我会一直支持他的。 B:为什么你对他那么好? A:他是我哥哥。 B:原来如此。他现在是有点麻烦,但我相信他一定会重新站起来的。 A:谢谢你的信任。 4.warm the cockles of one’s heart使人心里欢喜;令人满意 注解:这里的cockles是拉丁语cochlea cordis(心室)中cochlea的通俗形式。此语与heart of the heart (内心深处)的含义一样。另一种说法是,人的心脏与乌哈贝的外形相似,故此语意指“心灵深处的感情”。这条习语往往又指人饮酒以产生温暖感和满足感。 A: What kind of the music do you like best? B: I like the old songs. A: Why? You are so young. B: I think that have no relation with the age. I like that because they warm the cockles of my heart when I hear them. A: OK, I see. A:你喜欢什么样的音乐? B:我偏爱老歌。 A:为什么?你年纪这么轻。 B:我想这和年纪没关系。我喜欢他们是因为每当我听到老歌,都会有一种兴奋的情绪在我心灵深处激荡。 5.wash one’s dirty linen in public公开谈论个人丑事,家丑外扬 注解:此语中dirty linen一词表示“家丑,隐私”,与dirty laundry同义。此语意指to discuss something unpleasant or embarrassing in public, 也作air one’s dirty linen in public。 其反义词为wash one’s dirty linen at home“家丑不可外扬”,也可写作air one’s dirty linen at home。 A: Did you watch TV last night? B: No. I had a lot of work to do. What’s the news? A: There is a scandal to be exposed, and in the trail,some leading politicians were forced to wash their dirty linen in public. B: I’m so regretful to have missed the boat to watch it. A:你昨晚看电视了吗? B:没有看,我有很多的事情做,有什么新闻吗? A:有个丑闻被曝光了,在审判中,一些政界领导人被迫自扬家丑。 B:真遗憾错过了收看的机会。 6.water over the dam不可改变的既成事实,无法挽回的过去 注解:dam一词表示“堤、坝、水库”。此语的字面含义为“水漫过水坝”,引申为“不可改变的过去”。其同义词为water under the bridge,有时be(all) water under the bridge也指“一长段时间后事情发生了变化”。 A: Look, it’s all water over the dam now. Let’s leave it behind us. B: Yeah, I know, but it’s too hard to do. A: Our eyes should look into the future. We couldn’t live in the past. B: Only sometimes when I think about it, I feel very sad. A: It’s normal. Time will change everything. A:看,一切都已经无法挽回,就留在身后吧。 B:我知道。但很难做到。 A:我们的目光应投向未来,不能活在过去中。 B:只是有时我一想起就感到难过。 A:很正常,时间会改变一切。 7.wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve心直口快 注解:此语出自莎士比亚的《奥赛罗》第一章第一场:“But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve/ For dawns to peck at...”(那么不久我就要掬出我的心来,让乌鸦们乱啄了……)。在中世纪,武士总是在袖口上佩戴花朵以示自己时时牵挂着喜爱的人;所以这句习语亦表示 “不掩饰自己的情感”“对某人表示自己的爱意”。 A: I am unable to make out his heart. B: He is a man who never wears his heart on his sleeve. A: Yeah, I can sense his reserve, his secrecy, and his self-control. B: So you should believe his love, too. A: Do you really think so? B: Yes. Look at his eyes, everything is clear. A:我真的弄不懂他的意思。 B:他是个从不流露自己感情的人。 A:是呀。我可以感受到他的谨慎,他的讳莫如深,他的自我控制。 B:所以你该相信他对你的感情。 A:你真这么觉得? B:看看他的那双眼睛,一切尽在不言中。 8.underdog输者;受害者 注解:此语本指“斗败的狗”,用来借指“在竞争中失败的人或一方;处于劣势的人或一方”。也可指“社会或政治冤案的受害者”,如:They have sympathy for the underdog.(他们同情受害者。)underdogger表示“支持失败或处于劣势的人”。 A: Did you see the debate on TV yesterday? B: Yeah, it’s very wonderful. The underdog side won the debater at last. A: I think they developed their ideas step by step logically. B: Yes, especially the first one who gave me a very good impression. A:你昨天看电视上的辩论赛了吗? B:很精彩,处于劣势的一方最后还是赢了。 A:我觉得他们一步步有逻辑地展开了自己的观点。 B:就是,尤其是一辩给我留下了极好的印象。 |
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来自: MouseHappy > 《英语对话》