walk Spanish
我們常以“如履薄冰”一個(gè)人做事十分小心謹(jǐn)慎。英語(yǔ)中相當(dāng)?shù)恼f(shuō)法是walk on eggs,或treadon eggs。非常小心地步行的模樣,美語(yǔ)有walk Spanish形容。兒童游戲時(shí),被人提著衣領(lǐng)踮著腳尖步行,叫作walk Spanish。此詞經(jīng)引伸后作小心地走路解,但現(xiàn)在又常作被解雇,被罷免以及被驅(qū)逐解。一個(gè)人被公司解雇,可以說(shuō):Heis walked Spanish by his company。這話也可以說(shuō)成:He took awalkSpanish from his company。但美語(yǔ)中take awalk就是革職之意(一說(shuō)是源于馬克,吐溫的幽默說(shuō)法),不必再加“西班牙式”了。
get out of bed on the wrong side
晨起脾氣欠佳,美語(yǔ)中以getout of bed on the wrong side喻之。亦作:get up on the wrong side ofthe bed。無(wú)緣無(wú)故心情不好,于是只好說(shuō)下床時(shí)下錯(cuò)了位置。Johnis in bad mood.He must have gottenout Of bed On the wrong side thismorning。約翰脾氣欠佳,他一定是早起時(shí)心情不好。
早起心情不好,有時(shí)原因不在沒(méi)有睡好,而在肚餓,沒(méi)有吃早餐。西諺有:Never work beforebreakfast;if you have to work beforebreakfast, get your breakfast。不要在早餐前工作;如果你必須在早餐前工作,先吃早餐。我們上床睡覺(jué),一夜不吃東西,是“禁食”(fast),早晨開(kāi)禁進(jìn)餐,break thefast,早餐也。
wet behind the ear
“乳臭未干”英語(yǔ)中有現(xiàn)成的說(shuō)法:wet behind the ear。青年人涉世未深,言行幼稚,我們說(shuō):Heis still wet behind the eats,或者:He is hardly dry behind his ears。胎生動(dòng)物,例如老虎、獅子、熊之類的幼獸出世后,渾身濕潤(rùn),漸漸干時(shí),耳朵背后還是濕的,用以喻“乳臭未干”,是為not yet dry behindthe ear。
to be all ears
耳朵聽(tīng)人說(shuō)話,有它的選擇。想聽(tīng)、愛(ài)聽(tīng)的話,全神傾聽(tīng),英語(yǔ)作to be all ears。朋友說(shuō)有話要跟你談,你說(shuō):I am all ears。洗耳恭聽(tīng)也。愛(ài)參加派對(duì)活動(dòng)的姑娘,聽(tīng)你談到要開(kāi)派對(duì):She is all earswhen you mentioned the party。不要聽(tīng),聽(tīng)不進(jìn)的話,可以不聽(tīng),裝聾,to turn a deaf ear。員工怨聲載道,老板充耳不聞:The bossturned a deaf ear to all complaints也。(阿五)
咬文嚼字
look like a million dollars:
神采奕奕;容光煥發(fā);滿面春風(fēng)
神采奕奕;容光煥發(fā);滿面春風(fēng)(to look well andprosperous;appear healthy and happy and lucky;lookpretty and attractive)。Dressed in the new formal andin a new hairdo,Betty looked like a million dollars.貝蒂穿著正式的新裝,加上新做的發(fā)型,使她看起來(lái)漂亮而迷人。
manofletters:作家,文學(xué)家
作家,文學(xué)家(A male writer, especially onewho writes novels orwrites about literatures)。來(lái)自法語(yǔ)homme de lettres。Shakespeare was perhaps Britain‘sgreatest man of letters.莎土比亞也許是英國(guó)最偉大的文學(xué)家。
In the altogether:一絲不掛,裸體
一絲不掛、裸體(nude)據(jù)說(shuō)最早出自19世紀(jì)英國(guó)小說(shuō)家杜莫里埃(1843-1896)筆下。他在其小說(shuō)《特里比》中用altogether一詞專指繪畫(huà)中的裸體人。后來(lái)人們便用in the altogether.表示‘裸體”。Themodel posed in the altogether.那個(gè)模特兒一絲不掛地?cái)[好了姿勢(shì)。
big shot:大人物,大亨;要人,有權(quán)勢(shì)的人
大人物,大亨;要人,有權(quán)勢(shì)的人(Someonewho has a lot of power or influence.)。亦作bigshot.Kennan is a big shot in the State Department.凱南是國(guó)務(wù)院的名要員。
acid head:嗜服迷幻藥的人
嗜服迷幻藥的人(AregularuserofLSDonwhomthe hallucinogenic drug has left a visible effect.)。Thereason John acts so funny is that he is regular acid head.約翰行為古怪,是因?yàn)樗莻€(gè)吸迷幻藥成癮的人。