汉语习语的英文说法
1.【不妙】something is to pay
The manager had a hunch that something was to pay.
经理感到事情有些不妙。
汉语的“有些不妙”或“有点不对头”的概念常可用something is to pay的句式来表示。这一短语常和feel或have a hunch that连用。
Dialogue
Bob: Didn't you see the writing on the wall?
Sue: I even didn't have the slightest hunch.
Bob: But you should be prepared for such an outcome.
Sue: I had too much confidence in him.
Bob: But he ruined your business.
Sue: Well, if I knew there would be something to pay, I wouldn't should chalk it up to experience.
Bob: Well, you should chalk it up to experience.
Sue: You're right.
2.【眼中钉】a thorn in someone's flesh
I wonder why I become a thorn in their flesh. I've never harmed them.
不知为什么我成了他们的眼中钉了。我可从未错待过他们。
我们说的“眼中钉”与英美人讲的a thorn in someone's flesh指的是一回事,
虽比喻有异,但意思相同。与此说法相似的还有“刺耳的话”(a flea in someone's ear)。
Dialogue
Frank: I don't know why I should become a thorn in the John's flesh.
Betty: You mean your boss?
Frank: Yeah. He seems to bear me a grudge.
Betty: That's because you are too much on the ball.
Frank: But why should that make him hate me?
Betty: That's because you put him in the shade.
3.【馋得流口水】make someone's mouth water
The delicacies on the table make him mouth water.
桌上的美味佳肴馋得他直流口水。
“使某人流口水”指“使某人垂涎”,是地道的汉语口语。这一概念一般是用make someone's mouth water的句式来表达的。
Dialogue
Sue: Wow! What a gracious table! Everything looks so beautiful.
Bob: This might be the best dinner you've ever had.
Sue: Surely it is. I can hardly wait. They make my mouth water.
Bob: I feel itching, too. Let's start and try these delicacies.
4.【胡说八道】shooting from the hip
He thinks I've got the hots for Lily? It's shooting from the hip!
他说我迷恋上李丽了?这简直是胡说八道!
汉语口语中的"胡说八道"曾被译成break wind。其实,英美人更习惯用shoot from the hip来表示这一说法。
Dialogue
Rose: I didn't know Joe was two-faced. He stabbed me in the back.
Mark: What did he do?
Rose: He told my boyfriend that I had affairs with several men, which, of course,
made my boy friend very suspicious of me.
Mark: I didn't believe he would shoot from the hip like that! It was very vicious of him. You must not put up with him.
Rose: Of course not! He will soon know what he deserves!
流行美语排列榜Hey, Give me five
范例:
"Hey, Tom ! Give me five!" shouted Henry, raising his hand.
“嗨,汤姆!好啊!”享得大叫着,并把手举起来。
句型解说:
在现代美国电影或电视中,常常可看到两个人手伸出一互相击掌(其实中国人也有许多这样),这种现象发生在两初见面时,或是有什么值得两人高兴的事发生时。
有时会说“Give me five”。有时两人很有默契时,不说“Give me five,就互相击掌。
灵活运用:
Tom: Hey, dude! Give me five! 嗨,家伙,好啊!
John: How are you doing, Tom? 汤姆,你好吗?
I haven't seen you since last winter. 自从去年冬天以后就没见过你了。
Give Me a Break
范例:Oh, come on. Give me a break. 噢,算了吧。别开玩笑了。
句型解说:“Give me a break.” 是一句很流行的话。但凡你听到别人说一个消息、的一件事或任何一句话,你挺了不相信,都可以回他一句 “give me a break”, 既清楚表达了不相信他说的话,而且又充分地运用了一句流行的英语。“give me a break”“get out of here”都有不相信对方的意思。但“get out of here” 所表达的不相信中,含有兴奋的意味。例如:有人说你漂亮,你回答他说:“别骗我了,要用get out of here,而不用give me a break。因为别人的说你漂亮,你虽然说别开玩笑了,事实上正芳心暗喜呢。
灵活运用:
1.Mary: Do you know who is going with John ?
你知道谁是John的女朋友吗?
Jack: Ann Lee? Give me a break。
李安妮?别开玩笑了。
2.John: Tell you what.
告诉你一个消息。
I'm going to beat Tom at math contest.
我会在数学竞赛中赢汤姆。
Mary: Oh, give me a break.Tom is so good at math
别开玩笑了。Tom 的数学那么好。
flirt
范例:
She's the biggist flirt in school.
她是全校最喜欢招摇的女孩。
She keeps flirting with boys.
她总是爱跟男孩子抛媚眼。
句型解说:
flirt这个词当动词用时,指抛媚眼、送秋波、眉来眼去;当名词用时,指喜欢到处勾搭的人。另外有两个词也常用来形容爱招摇、爱出风头的女孩子,但却表达了不同的意思。snob指喜欢穿戴得很漂亮、到处招摇的女孩子。airhead则是指只是漂亮却没有脑筋的“花瓶”。
灵活运用:
1.The new girl is such a flirt.
新来的女孩子很爱出风头。
2.She is too much of an airhead to be school president.
她呀,“花瓶”一个,不能做学生会会长。
3.She's such a snob. I don't like her.
她太爱招摇了。我不喜欢她。
in a row——连续的
范例:
You have been late for work three days in a row.
你已经连续三天上班迟到了。
例句解说:in a row指连续的,它跟continuous不一样的用法是说一个接着一个,例如说一连几天或一连几夜
灵活运用:
I stayed up late three nights in a row.
我一连三个晚上都在熬夜。
He won the best actor award four years in a row.
他连续四年荣获最佳男主角奖。
bucks
范例:
Would you loan me ten bucks?
借我10块钱好吗?
I'm broke.
我身上一毛钱都没有。
句型解说:
buck是钱的意思,也就是中学学过的dollar(元),但美国人偏爱说buck,5块钱说“five bucks”。 跟five dollars,twenty dollars的意思一样,却是更常用的。big bucks指大钱,例如:有人想赚大钱就是making big bucks。
灵活运用:
1.Mary: How much is it?多少钱?
Clerck:Ten bucks.10块钱
2.My dream is to make big bucks.
我的梦想就是赚大钱。
broke
范例:
Mary:I'm broke
我身上一毛钱都没有。
John:I can loan you ten bucks. If that'll help.
如果你需要的话,我可以借你10块钱。
句型说明:
broke这个词,原本指破产,但也可以说没钱。这个“没钱”又有两种含义:一种是手头真的很紧;另一种是指身上没有现金。所以,当美国人说“I'm broke”时,可能指她身上没有现金,而不是说他真的破产了。
灵活运用:
1.I can't afford that.
我买不起。
I'm broke.
我手头紧。
2.I'm broke.
我身上没有现金。
3.I'm going to get some cash.
我要去取一些现金。
HIT——风行一时的人
范例:
You are going to be a hit at the party.
你会是宴会上最枪眼的人物。
句型解说:
hit和hot的意思一样,但hit是名词,某人、某首歌或某张唱片is a hit。但hot是形容词,某人、某首歌is hot.
灵活运用:
1.My sister just wrote a book that I know is going to be a hit.
我妹妹写了一本书,我知道那本书一定很畅销。
2.This song is going to be a hit.
这首歌一定会大受欢迎。
3.Britney Spears's latest album is a hit.
布兰妮的最新专辑很抢手。
I'll say——我也有同感
范例:
Tom:She's such a doll.
她真的很可爱。
John:I'll say.
我也有同感。
句型解说:
在用英语聊天时,有时会觉得不知该如何接下去,记住这些简单的聚斯,聊起来时不仅顺口,还很贴切。
例如,对方说了一件事情,你很有同感,别老是“Yes,yes.I think so.” 用“I'll say.”表示如果由我来说,我也会这样说,或是“You said it.”,我要说的,你刚才已经说了,都是表示同意对方的说法。这两句话都是很流行的用语,只要场合对了,尽管用。
灵活应用:
1.Tom: What a handsome couple they make!
他们真是天生的一对。
Mary:I'll say.
是啊!我也有同感。
2.Tom:This test is killing me.
这次考试真难。
3.Mary:You said it.
是啊!我也这么想。
4.I'm afraid I'll fail the course.
我怕我这科会不及格。
FALL APART——崩溃
范例:
When she learned of her mother's death, she fell apart.
当她听到她母亲的死讯时,她整个人都崩溃了。
句型说明:
to fall apart本来的意思是东西解体,或者是一个团体解散的意思,若用来之人的青训的话,就是指一个人的情绪受不了,要崩溃了。
灵活应用:
1.This old car is about to fall apart. you'd better sell it.
这部老爷车快解体了,你最好把她卖了。
2.What happened to you?
你怎么啦?
3.You look like you're gonna fall apart.
你看起来好像要崩溃了。
FED UP——受不了了
范例:
Stop whinning. I'm fed up.
别哭了,我受不了了。
句型解说:be fed up不只是生气,而且忍耐到极限。不管是妈妈被小孩吵得受不了了、的老师被学生吵,或者是公共场合,你都可以常听到某人说fed up。此话一出,不仅表示生气,还意味着受不了,接下来的行动将会很激烈。
灵活应用:
1.I'm fed up, if you don't knock it off this minute, I'll beat you up.
我受不了了,如果你现在不停的话,我就要揍人了。
2.I'm fed up with this work.
这工作我实在受不了。
DUMP HIM/HER——和他/她分手
范例:Mary dumped John to go with Peter.
玛丽把约翰甩掉,开始跟彼得约会。
句型解说:
to dump 这个词作动作动词,是倒垃圾的意思。引伸到交朋友方面,年轻人常说的把某人甩掉,美国年轻人就用dump,如dump my girlfriend(甩掉女朋友)。但若不是说固定交往的异性朋友,而是用于普通朋友, 那就不用dump,而用drop。“Tom is dropped by a friend。”指一位朋友不和他做朋友了。
灵活应用:
1.After 30 years, he dumped his wife.
他在结婚30年后,甩掉了他的妻子。
2.Mary was dumped by her boyfriend.
玛丽被他男朋友甩了。
GROSS——真恶心
范例:
What's this stuff? It looks gross.
这是什么东西?看起来真恶心。
句型解说:
gross 这个词,跟gag一样,是美国年轻人一天到晚挂在嘴边的话。不管是看到喜欢的东西,或是某人令人讨厌、某件事令人不悦,不使用gross,就是用gag.gross这个词还可以加上宾语,说gross me out就是make mesick 或是gag me,令我恶心的意思。
灵活应用:
1.Tom: You want to try this?
你要不要尝尝这个?
Mary: Yuck. What is this stuff?
哎呀,这是什么东西?
It looks gross.
看起来真恶心。
[注]yuck这个词,也是常听到的表示厌恶的说法。
2.Look at that picture.
看看这幅画。
Doesn't it gorss me out?
你不觉得恶心吗?
TOTALLY——真的很……
范例:That rock band is totally hot.
那个摇滚乐队真的很受欢迎。
句型解说:total 和totally 是年轻人中非常流行的用语,用在强调所形容的东西或加强一个形容词的意思。
灵活应用:
1.What a totally jerk he is!
她实在是个混蛋!
2.She's totally nasty.
她真的很令人讨厌。
HEAD OVER HEELS——从头到脚;完全地
范例:
She was head over heels in love with the rock star.
她真的迷上了那位摇滚歌星。
句型解说:
head是头,heel是脚跟。head over heel,从头到脚,指全部、完全地,常常跟in love with...连用,说真正地爱上某人;或跟in love连用,说两人真正地相爱了。
灵活应用:
1.John is head over heels in love with Mary.
约翰真心地爱上了玛丽。
2.They are head over heels in love.
他们是真心相爱。
DIRT——闲话,谣言
范例:
You've got any new dirt to tell me?
你有什么新消息要告诉我吗?
句型解说:
dirt这个词本意是灰尘,但美国人尝用来指gossip,指大家传来传去的闲话或谣言。
灵活应用:
1.What's the dirt on the secretary in the manager's office?
关于经理室新来的秘书,有什么闲话吗?
2.There s dirt on the affair between Jessica abd the manager.
关于杰西卡和经理之间的风流韵事,流言满天飞。
HELLO!——有没有搞错!
范例:
I just got a job as a Japanese translater.
我刚找到曰语翻译的工作。
Hello! You don't speak Japanese.
有没有搞错!你根本不会说曰语。
句型解说:Hello这个词,大家再熟悉不过,用平常的语气来说,就只能表示打招呼;但只要语调一转,稍微夸张一点,就会演变成另外一个意思。例如,你觉得某个人说出一句话,没有经过大脑随便说说,或是心不在焉,好像在做白曰梦,你就可以敲敲他的头说“Hello,anybody home?”这句话问有没有人在家,是指你清醒没有的意思。Hello在这儿的问法是说“你有没有搞错”。
GREEN——新手,没有经验
范例:If I were you,I wouldn't hire him.
如果我是你的话,我就不会雇佣他。
He's really green.
她一点经验都没有。
句型解说:
我们说某人在某一行业里是新手、没有经验,或是在某人谈话中,你觉得对方对某事很外行,都可以用green这个词。
灵活运用:I would rather be called green than pretend to be an old dog.
我你给宁愿人家说我没有经验,也不要装老手。
COP——警察
范例:
Freeze,this is the policeman.
别动,这是警察。
句型解说:
大家在课堂上学到的警察,英文是policeman。但各位在美国影片里,一定常听到cop这个词。一般人叫警察cop,但警察并不叫自己cop,而说police。 |