151、at the drop of a hat
At the drop of a hat的意思是:一有信号可以马上行动。它往往用来形容那些脾气很暴躁的人。
例句 1 :Tom Atkins is usually a good-hearted, friendly guy. But he has one problem–a hot temper. Say something he doesn’t agree with, and he’ll start a loud argument at the drop of a hat.
汤姆·阿特金斯一般来说是一个心地善良,很友好的人。但是,他有一个毛病,那就是脾气太坏。要是你说些什么他不同意的话,他可以马上和你大声争辩。
At the drop of a hat这个习惯用语不一定要用于争辩或打架的场合。它也可以解释为:在有必要的时候,某人可以立即行动。
例句 2 :I have a job that involves a lot of travel on short notice. I always keep one bag packed so I’m ready to go at the drop of a hat when I get a call from the boss asking me to catch the next plane to Chicago.
我的工作经常需要在得到通知后马上出门去。所以,我老是有一只箱子,里面放好了出门需要用的东西,这样当我接到我老板的电话让我乘下一班飞机去芝加哥时,我可以立即动身。
152、to talk through one’s hat
To talk through one’s hat这个俗语的意思就是:说话的人自己根本不懂,所以他的话实际上是胡说八道。这个俗语是出自两百年前的一次总统竞选。在1888年,纽约的一家报纸登了一幅漫画,讽刺当时正在竞选总统的本杰明·哈里森。哈里森经常戴一顶很高的帽子,所以漫画家把他的帽子画得很大,连他的脸都给遮住了。漫画下面的注解说,当哈里森发表竞选演说的时候,他是通过他的帽子向听众说话的,也就是胡说八道 。尽管如此,哈里森还是在那次竞选中当选为美国总统。
例句 1 :Anybody who says we can balance the budget without raising taxes is just talking through his hat.
谁要是说我们能够在不提高税收的情况下使预算平衡的话,那真是胡说八道。
例句 2 :Hey, don’t listen to that guy. He’s talking through his hat when he tells people that two-headed men from Mars have landed a spaceship near Washington and the government is keeping it secret.
喂,你们别听那家伙的话。他告诉别人说,有些长两个头的人从火星乘一架宇宙飞船来到华盛顿附近,而政府把这件事掩盖起来,不让公众知道。这人简直是在胡说八道。
153、Hang on to your hat
要是你头上根本没有戴帽子,而有人对你说:Hang on to your hat是何意呢?hang on就是抓住的意思,所以从字面上解释就是:抓住你的帽子。可是,你既没有戴帽子,为什么人家要叫你:抓住你的帽子呢?实际上,hang on to your hat不能按它的字面来解释,这个俗语的真实意思就是:有特别惊人的消息,你要准备好,不要因为过于惊奇而让帽子都从头上掉了下来。
例句 1 :Hang on to your hat–you won’t believe this but last night Bill asked me to marry him!
告诉你一件特大消息,你肯定不会相信。可是,昨天晚上比尔向我求婚啦!
例句 2 :Hi, honey, I have something to tell you! Now hang on to your hat–the boss says he wants me to take charge of the new office in Honolulu. How about that for a nice surprise!
亲爱的,我要告诉你一个消息。你得小心听着:我的老板说,他要我负责管理檀香山新开办的分公司。怎么样,这个出人意料的消息真不错吧!
154、to keep something under your hat
帽子是一个藏东西的好地方,不管是把一封信放在帽子底下不让别人看到,还是戴上一顶帽子把自己的秃顶遮起来。To keep something under your hat这个俗语的意思就是:我要告诉你一个秘密,但是千万不要告诉任何人。
例句 1 :Mary told me her husband is seeing another woman and she’s thinking about leaving him but please keep it under your hat.
玛丽告诉我她的丈夫有外遇。玛丽正在考虑跟她丈夫分手。不过,请你千万不要对别人说。
例句 2 :Can you keep a secret? The boss’s secretary just told me he’s leaving for another job. She told me not to tell anybody else, so keep it under your hat.
你能保密吗?我们老板的秘书刚刚告诉我老板要上别处去工作了。他的秘书叫我不要对任何人说,所以你得保密呀!
155、nerd
这个字恐怕在有的字典上都找不到。它用来形容那些不太受其他学生欢迎的人,意思和“书呆子”很相似。被称为nerd的学生一般都很聪敏,对学习很严肃,他们大多数时间都花在学习上。他们的毛病在于看起来很软弱,和其他同学的关系也很别扭。这些所谓的nerd,衣服也穿得比别的学生保守,在社交场合表现的不知所措。由于他们一般都比较害羞,因此和这些nerd在一起不像和其他人在一起那么有趣。
例句 1 :Today George Miller actually had the nerve to ask me to go to the Christmas dance with him! Sure, he’s getting straight A’s in all his classes, but look at those thick classes, and those dull clothes he wears. I’d rather be caught dead than to out with a nerd like him.
今天乔治米勒居然敢来邀我和他一起去圣诞节舞会。是啊,他每门课都得A,但是看看他那眼镜片有多厚,还穿那些老古董衣服。我要和这么一个书呆子一起去跳舞,我宁可去死。
例句 2 :The big surprise was seeing Bill Green. He was such a nerd 20 years ago–too busy studying instead of having a good time like most of us. But maybe he had the right idea; he owns his own computer company and is worth ten million bucks.
这次聚会最惊人的是看到比尔格林。二十年前他可是个书呆子,忙于学习,没有时间像我们那样玩。可是,也许他当时的想法是对的,他现在自己开一个电脑公司,值一千万美元。
156、jock
Jock就是那种身材魁梧,长得很帅,很富有男子汉气概的运动员。
例句 1 :You may call me a nerd, but I think it’s more important to study hard than to be a jock and play football or basketball. The trouble is, though, the girls all want to go with jocks, the guys with the muscles and team sweaters.
你可以叫我书呆子,但是我认为用功念书要比做一个漂亮男子和踢足球、打垒球更重要。可是,问题是那些女孩子都要和那些长得帅的男学生和那些身强体壮的球队队员出去玩。
现在美国学校里好些女学生也积极参加各种体育运动,她们被称为:girl jock。
例句 2 :My kid sister is only six but it looks like she’ll turn out to be a girl jock. Instead of staying in the house, she loves to go outside and play baseball with the boys. And you know something–she’s better at it than most of the boys.
我的小妹妹只有六岁,可是看起来她会成为一个强壮的女运动员。她不愿在家呆着,她喜欢出去和男孩一起打垒球。你要知道,她比大多数男孩都打得好。
157、wimp
美国人经常用wimp这个字来形容一些比较软弱,缺乏勇气,办事无效的人。参加竞选的政界人士往往喜欢用wimp这个字来描述竞选对手。不管是不是符合事实,有的时候,这种形象就在选民心目中留下了印象。
例句 1 :As far as I know, this guy Roger Bly is honest. And he’s had a pretty good voting record in Congress. But he looks like such a wimp: I’m afraid he doesn’t have the guts(guts pl. 勇气)to handle a real crisis when it comes up. So I guess I’ll vote for the other guy.
就我所知,罗杰·布莱这人很老实。他在国会里就各种问题投票的记录来看也很不错。可是,他看起来像个软骨头。我担心,在真正发生危机的时候,他可能不会有足够的勇气来处理问题。所以,我想我还是投另外一个候选人的票。
例句 2 :I’m afraid my sister married a real wimp. Sure, he makes a good salary and treats her well. But he lets himself get pushed around by everybody–waiters, clerks in stores, the guy who pumps gas–he’s afraid to stand up for his rights.
看我的妹妹大概是嫁了一个真正的软骨头。不错,他工资不低,对她也很好。但是,他听任周围任何人的摆布:饭馆服务员、售货员、加油站的人等,他从来不敢维护他的权利。
158、turkey
大家大概都知道,turkey就是火鸡,美国人在感恩节和圣诞节时家家户户都要吃火鸡。可是,活的火鸡非常难看,行动迟钝,而且笨头笨脑的。所以,要是你把一个人形容为turkey,那你就等于说,那个人是愚蠢无用的,是软弱,受人摆布,不敢坚持己见的。
例句 1 :I’m worried about this young fellow my daughter is dating. He never finished school, he doesn’t have a job, he dresses like a bum(n.游荡者, 游民,乞丐)–he looks like a real turkey to me.
真担心我女儿的那个男朋友。他书没念完,也没有工作,穿得像个叫化子。我看,他真是个愚蠢的,毫无用处的人。
例句 2 :Some private firms and official agencies have what they call a “turkey farm”, a part of the organization where their turkeys can be sent to get them out of the way until it’s possible to fire them.
有些私营公司和政府机构都有一种叫做“火鸡农场”之类的地方,这是那个机构的一部份,为了不让那些生产力低的人影响其他人的工作,这些单位可以把他们送到“火鸡农场”去,直到能够开除他们为止。
159、to throw one’s hat in the ring
美国总统大选一般是在十一月初举行。可是,竞选活动往往早就开始了。在竞选的第一个阶段,那些认为自己有资格当总统的人经过多方考虑后做出究竟参不参加这次总统竞选的决定。美国人经常用To throw one’s hat in the ring这个俗语来是指某人决定参加竞选。这个说法可能是来自很早以前的一种风俗。那时,有的职业摔跤运动员经常到各地去旅行和当地的人才一比高低。如果当地有某个人决定和他比赛的话,那个人就把他的帽子往场里一扔,表示接受挑战。当然,这类到处旅行,像中国古时候摆擂台的那种方式现在很少见了,可是这个俗语却被普遍用来形容接受挑战,参加竞选。
例句 1 :A former senator from Massachusetts named Paul Tsongas was the first Democrat to throw his hat in the ring for this year’s presidential election.
麻省一位名字叫保尔·聪格斯的前参议员是第一个决定参加今年总统竞选的民主党人。
例句 2 :People at first thought that the Governor of New York would throw his hat in the ring. But he waited and waited and announced at the last minute that he would not run for president.
人们开始都以为纽约州州长科莫会参加竞选。可是,他迟迟不作决定,直到最后一分钟才宣布他决定不参加竞选总统。
160、to go on the stump
在竞选总统的第二个阶段,那些决定参加竞选的人开始到各地去参加各州的初选。To go on the stump在这里的意思是参加竞选的人到各处去发表讲演,争取选民的支持。你要是查字典的话,stump这个字的一个意思是:树墩。树墩和到处演讲这两者之间在美国是有历史性联系的。在美国刚成立的时候,人们为了开荒种地和建立新的城镇,砍掉好多树。竞选公职的候选人往往站在树墩上发表演说。慢慢地,stump这个字就演变到现在的意思,也就是竞选者到各处去演说争取选票。
例句 1 :The governor is running for reelection, and he’s looking hard for votes–he’ll go on the stump in the whole state next month and make speeches in over fifty cities and towns.
这位州长正在竞选连任。他在竭尽全力地争取选票。下个月,他要到全州五十个城镇去发表讲话,开展竞选活动。
例句 2 :Usually, candidates fly to different places to make speeches. This year, however, the Democratic candidates Clinton and Gore took a bus to make their stump speeches in order to meet more people at the grassroots level.
这句话里的stump是个形容词。这句话是说:“候选人一般都是乘飞机到各处去发表演说。可是,今年民主党的两位候选人克林顿和戈尔改乘大轿车去各地竞选,这样他们沿途可以见到更多的普通老百姓。
161、favorite son
Favorite son从字面上来解释是:受宠的儿子。可是用在选举上,它的意思就变了。决定参加总统竞选的人来自各州,当一个有候选人的州举行初选的时候,本州的候选人就是favorite son。其他竞选者要到那些有favorite son的州去参加初选,那可就麻烦了。因为,一般来说,同一个党的人总是会支持本州的候选人,那怕他们明明知道这个人根本不可能被提名为总统候选人。在2000年美国总统大选时,爱奥华州就发生了类似情况。请看例句:
例句 :Every election year Iowa gets lots of national attention because it is the first state to show which candidates it wants. But this year other presidential hopefuls did not spend much time in Iowa because Senator Harkin from Iowa was a favorite son candidate.
每次大选爱奥华州总是全国注视的中心,因为它总是第一个举行初选,表明他们喜欢哪个候选人。可是,今年其他州的候选人并没有在爱奥华州花很多时间进行竞选活动,因为哈金参议员就是来自爱奥华州的,他就是爱奥华州的宠儿。也就是:别人没有办法和他在那个州竞争。哈金参议员由于在其他州举行的初选中节节败退早已宣布退出竞选。
162、sound bite
参加竞选总统的候选人越来越多地利用新闻媒介来宣传他们的观点和攻击竞争对手。习语sound bite就是插入电视新闻节目当中的一个和选举有关的录像片段。比如,有几个候选人同时在一个州进行竞选,当地的电视播音员就可能做一个节目介绍这几位候选人,其中包括他们的讲话片段。这些片段虽然很短,不会超过十五秒钟,可是候选人却把这种机会看的很重要,因为全国各地的选民都能看到。为了要公平对待每个候选人,给他们同等的时间,新闻节目有时会出现一些问题,就像下面这个例子一样:
例句 1 :We have a problem in our six o’clock newscast. We have sound bites of four candidates and we better squeeze in all four. Which means we’ll have to cut some other story out of the show.
我们六点钟的新闻节目有个问题。我们有四个候选人的片段,最好把四个片段都挤进去。不过,这就意味着我们得减少一些其他内容。
例句 2 :Some of the presidential candidates are more interested in sound bites than sound policies.
有些竞选总统的候选人对自己在电视上演讲的片段比他们对制定好的政策更感兴趣。这句话里有两个sound这个字,sound bites里的sound是指声音,而sound policies是指好的、有效的政策。
163、blame game
在竞选总统或各级官员的过程中,每个候选人为了当选总是想方设法地抬高自己,贬低别人。他们用的策略之一就是:blame game。Blame是责怪或指责的意思,game在这里是指策略或手法。Blame game是候选人把造成某些社会问题的责任推到竞选对手身上去的手法,那怕他明明知道这是他自己的责任。
例句 1 :I’m not going to play the blame game and say who’s at fault that so many people are out of work. But I have to tell you my opponent did vote against three bills to create new jobs.
我不会把造成那么多人失业的责任推给别人,我不会使用那种推卸责任的把戏。但是,我得告诉你们,在国会就三项有关创造新就业机会的提案投票时,我的对手投的是反对票。
例句 2 :Harry Truman, who was President from 1945 to 1952, was one man who did not play the blame game. He had a sign on his desk: The Buck Stops Here.
杜鲁门从1945到1952年担任美国总统。他是一个不推卸责任的人,他的桌子上有一块牌子,上面写着“我负责”这几个字。
164、negative campaigning
Negative是反面的意思,campaigning就是竞选。Negative campaigning就是候选人集中力量讲对手的缺点,以此来抬高自己。
例句 1 :A listener just called in to ask what I mean by negative campaigning. Well, it means a candidate’s main strategy is to tell voters how bad the other guy is instead of talking about how good he is himself.
一位听众刚才打电话来问什么是negative campaigning。Negative campaigning的意思是一个候选人采用的主要策略是告诉选民他的对手是如何的坏,而不是说自己是如何如何的好。
例句 2 :Some political observers say that negative campaigning isn’t working this year–that voters want to hear positive ideas about how to create new jobs and give people better health care.
有些政治观察家说,尽力贬低对方的反面竞选方式今年行不通。选民们要听有积极意义的主意,像如何增加就业机会、为公众提供更好的保健措施等。
165、swing voter
大多数选民一般来说总是忠于自己所属的党,民主党投民主党候选人的票,共和党投共和党候选人的票。但是,有一部份人由于某种原因对自己的党不太满意。他们最终投谁的票在于哪个党的候选人在重要的问题上能提出更迎合他们的主张,因此两个党都要争取这些动摇不定的选民,也就是swing voter。他们可能在选举前改变好几次主意。
例句 1 :The political experts say that the election in the state of Michigan is too close to predict. It’s the swing voters who will decide who wins there and we don’t know what they are thinking.
研究政治的专家们说,密执安州的选举双方势均力敌,很难预测谁会当选。那些摇摆不定的选民是决定谁获胜的关键,我们不知道他们现在在想什么。
例句 2 :This is going to be a close election. The only way we can win this time is to work as hard as we can to win over the swing voters.
这次选举将是势均力敌的。我们要在这次选举中获胜,唯一的办法就是尽一切力量来争取那些至今仍然动摇不定的选民。
166、to come out swinging
To come out swinging实际上是来自拳击运动的一个俗语。当两个重量级拳击手比赛的时候,只要铃一响,他们就冲到场地的中央,尽力地挥舞双臂,各自企图在对方还没有时间袭击他的时候就给对方致命一击。竞选时,为了争取选民,双方候选人往往就采取互相攻击的策略,to come out swinging就是互相攻击的意思。
例句 1 :After a day off, President Bush and Governor Clinton this morning again launched another hard week of campaigning, and they both came out swinging.
休息了一天后,布什总统和克林顿州长今天早上又开始了一个星期的艰苦竞选旅程,他们两人一开始就互相攻击。
例句 2 :They say the big mistake the Democratic candidate made in 1988 was that he failed to come out swinging the day after the convention.
他们说民主党1988年总统候选人的错误是他没有在全国代表大会后马上展开攻击。
167、Don’t change horses in the middle of the stream.
在1992年的美国总统大选中,一次民意测验显示,布什总统落后于民主党候选人克林顿。这使人想起在十九世纪美国内战期间担任总统的林肯。林肯在竞选连任的时候也遇到了重重困难,当时他对选民说: “Don’t change horses in the middle of the stream.” Horses就是“马”的意思,in the middle of the stream是指“河流的中间”。”Don’t change horses in the middle of the stream”也就是说:不要在过河过到一半的时候换你骑的马。就美国选举来说,这个俗语的意思就是:即便你们对我不满意,但是目前美国问题很多,不是换总统的时候。林肯的这句话很有名,竞选连任的官员经常引用他这句话。
例句 1 :I may have made a few mistakes in the last four years. But, my friends, let me tell you this–with the economy in bad shape, this is no time to change horses in the middle of the stream.
我可能在过去四年内犯了一些错误,但是朋友们,让我告诉你们,在目前经济那么糟糕的时候换人是不行的。
例句 2 :I kind of like this new man because he has some fresh ideas. But I guess I’ll vote for the old guy who has the job now. Somehow, I just don’t like to change horses in the middle of the stream.
我倒是很喜欢这个新的候选人,因为他有些新主意。不过,我想我还是投那个现任官员的票。不知什么缘故,我就不喜欢在中途换人。
168、jump on the bandwagon
很早以前在收音机和电视还没有出现的时代,竞选官职的人为了吸引公众的注意往往会雇一个乐队,让他们在一辆马车上演奏。马车上贴了许多标语,鼓励人们投某某人的票。这种有乐队的马车就叫bandwagon。要是这个候选人特别受人拥护,那些无足轻重的小政客就会登上那辆马车,让人们知道他们和这位名人关系很好。这就是jump on the bandwagon。从字面上来看,这是“跳上有乐队的马车”的意思。实际上这种马车已经不再存在,这个俗语还是经常使用的,意思是:站在某候选人一边,表示支持。
例句 1 :After the latest polls I think that Green is going to win. Let’s jump on the bandwagon right now and endorse the man before we get left behind.
根据最近的民意调查,我想格林是会当选的。我们得马上表态支持他,否则我们就会赶不上趟了。
例句 2 :Sometimes you can tell who is going to win a big office like President or Governor by watching how many other politicians come running to jump on his bandwagon and get credit for supporting him.
有时候,你只要看有多少政客急急忙忙表态站在某个候选人一边,并想以支持他得到好处,你就可以知道谁会当选像总统或州长那样的重要官职了。
169、sleaze
Sleaze指的是“下流的人”,或是“低级的东西”。可是在美国总统竞选中,sleaze是指“攻击对方的私生活”。也就是,竞选一方散布有关竞选对手私生活中的丑闻,以此在选民中毁坏对方的名声,他们散布的丑闻有的可能是属实的,但是也有一些是完全捏造的。
例句 1 :On the campaign trail today the Republicans and the Democrats both hurled charges accusing the other side of using sleaze despite promises by Bush and Clinton to stop such tactics.
今天在竞选活动中共和党和民主党互相攻击,指责对方使用人身攻击的手法,尽管布什和克林顿都做了保证不再这样做。
例句 2 :I don’t intend to use sleaze against my opponent although there are plenty of things in his personal life that the voters ought to know about.
我并不想利用竞选对手的丑闻来攻击他,但是他的私生活中也确实有很多东西选民应该知道的。
170、gridlock
在七十年代,纽约有一次发生严重的交通堵塞事故。当时汽车无法前进,排成几里长的长蛇阵,所有主要街道的路口全部都被堵死了。人们把这一现象叫做:gridlock。Gridlock这个字在有些字典里还查不到。在1992年的美国总统大选中,美国人用gridlock这个字来指美国政界存在的那种两派僵持不下,任何问题无法得以进展的现象。出现这种现象的主要原因是布什总统是共和党人,而负责制定法律的国会却在民主党控制之下。在布什总统执政的四年内,布什提出的大多数提案国会都没有通过。而国会提出的提案,很多都被布什否决了。民主党在国会虽占多数,但还没有到足以推翻总统否决的三分之二多数。这个局面使得许多重要问题无法进展,造成了gridlock的现象。
例句 1 :Both the Republicans and the Democrats agree that the big problem with the government in Washington is political gridlock. But they certainly don’t agree who is to blame.
共和党人和民主党人都同意,美国政府的一个大问题就是在政治上的僵局。至于究竟哪一方应该对这个局面负责,双方意见却完全不同。
例句 2 :Our State is just like Washington–we have a Republican Governor and a Democratic legislature. So we usually have gridlock on new programs because one side won’t approve what the other side does.
我们州和华盛顿一样,我们的州长是共和党的,而立法机构却在民主党控制下。往往一方不同意另一方的计划,所以我们经常会在新的项目上出现僵局。
171、lame duck
克林顿在一九九二年十一月三号当选为美国第四十二届总统。这一结果使好些原来布什政府的官员都处于即将下任的境地,布什总统也包括在内。美国人给这些竞选失败、即将下任的官员起了一个名字,叫做:lame duck。Lame的意思就是“走起路来一瘸一瘸的”,duck就是“鸭子”。从字面上来解释lame duck就是:一只瘸的鸭子。但是,我们这儿指的不是鸭子,而是一个经选举产生的政府官员竞选连任失败,可是他的任期还有几个星期或几个月。 任何政府官员都可能成为lame duck。从总统、参议员、一直到州长和市长。就拿布什总统来说吧,他的总统任期一直要到一九九三年的一月二十号克林顿宣誓就职为止。克林顿在当选后的第二天发表讲话时说:”During the transition…, I urge America’s friends and foes alike to recognize…that America has only one President at a time…” 克林顿说:“在过渡时期内……,我要敦促美国的朋友和敌人都认识到…,美国在任何时候只有一位总统……”也就是说,在一九九三年一月二十号之前,美国的总统仍然是布什。然而,一个任期只剩下几个星期的官员很自然地会失去很多权力。这就是为什么把他们称为lame duck,因为他只能像一只瘸的鸭子那样,一拐一拐地走,再也飞不起来了。
例句 :The governor of our state ended up as a lame duck when he lost the election. He still has six weeks left in office but there’s nothing to do except to pack up his papers.
我们州的州长竞选连任失败,因此即将下任。他的任期还剩六个星期,不过他除了整理办公室以外也没有什么事可干了。
172、golden parachute
那么这些lame duck今后怎么办呢?在这些人中,有许多都能找到一个golden parachute。Golden的意思是“金的”,parachute指的是“降落伞”。作为一个俗语,golden parachute就是那些下任的官员在失去他们原来的工作后在经济上提供保障的安排。当布什总统明年一月卸任的时候,他将和其他总统一样在他有生之年享受一份优厚的退休金。按照美国法律,国家还为他提供保安人员和为维持他办公室的一笔资金。在那些下任的官员中,有些运气好的将担任一些企业的执行总裁,到一个律师事务所去工作,或者为一些企业进行游说,设法影响他们以前在政府工作时的同事。
例句 :Congressman Blank lost the election. But he has a golden parachute–he’s been offered a job as a senior vice president in a big company in his home state of New York.
布兰克议员竞选连任失败。但是他运气很好,经济上都已经有了安排,因为他家乡纽约州的一家大公司请他去担任副总裁。
173、on the fence
各种语言都有一套特殊的政治词汇,美国英语也不例外。美国国会议员在通过各项法案时经常要投票表示自己的立场。但是,有些议员在面临有争议的法案时往往感到难以作出决定。美国人把这种情况叫做:on the fence。Fence就是“篱笆”。On-the-fence的意思也就是骑在篱笆上,左右不定,也就是说,还没有决定投赞成票,还是反对票。
例句 1 :Sorry, friend: I can’t tell you right now how I will vote on the new tax bill. I’m still on the fence: I’m looking for more information before I decide which way I’ll jump.
朋友,对不起,我现在还不能告诉你我对这个有关税收的新法案如何投票。我还没有决定。在我决定站在哪一边以前,我还要了解更多的情况。
on the fence也可能指那种两面观望,看准了如何行动才对自己有好处的所谓“骑墙派”。
例句 2 :That man has managed to stay in office for ten years by being a regular fence-sitter. He never makes up his mind how to vote on an issue until he’s sure whether most voters are for or against it.
那个人在投票前总是要先看准了大多数选民是赞成还是反对,然后才决定投什么票。就这样,他竟然当了十年议员。
174、maverick
一般来说,忠实的民主党员或共和党员基本上会按照党的决定来投票。但是,每个党里都有一些非常独立、很有主见的人,他们往往不按照党的意志去投票。所以很难预料他们会站在那一边。美国人把这种人称谓:maverick。Maverick是大约一百五十年前得克萨斯州一个牧场主的名字。当时,各农场之间是没有铁丝网隔开的,牲口可以到处去吃草。一般牧场主都在自己的牛身上打上自己的记号,可是Maverick却不在乎,他的牲口身上没有任何记号。后来,当其他牧场主看到没有记号的牲口时,他们就会说:‘看,那是Maverick的牲口!’现在,Maverick这个字已经用到政治上来,形容那些有独立主见,不像大多数党员跟着自己党的意志行事的议员。
例句 1 :This vote on the foreign trade bill is going to be close, and I sure wish we could be sure of that man’s support. But he’s such a maverick we can’t count on his voting with the party.
两个党在这个外贸法案上的票数肯定会非常接近。我真是希望能够得到那个人的支持,但是他的独立性非常强,没有办法肯定他是否会跟着党的意思去投票。
例句 2 :Congressman Black is a real maverick but the voters keep sending him back to Washington. They admire a man who votes the way he really feels instead of just trying to please the voters all the time.
布莱克议员是一个真正独行其事的人,但是选民们不断投他的票,推选他到华盛顿去当议员。选民们很钦佩他,因为他总是根据自己真正的想法去投票,而不是单纯想讨好选民。
175、to give somebody a piece of one’s mind
To give someone a piece of one’s mind并不是把自己的聪敏才智分给别人一点,而是指因为生气而对某人大发雷霆,痛快地把别人大骂一通。
例句 1 :This stupid idiot passed me on the left, then cut in ahead of me so close I had to jam on the brakes to keep from hitting him. When I caught up with him at the stoplight, I rolled down my window, and boy, did I give him a piece of my mind.
这个混蛋,他从我左边超车,然后在靠我很近的地方就往我前面挤,我不得不急煞车,否则我的车就要撞上他的车了。当我在红灯的地方和他平行的时候,嗨,我可把他臭骂了一顿。
例句 2 :Today I’ll give my business manager a piece of my mind. I’m tired of him coming in an hour late every day. I’ll tell him to be here on time or look for a job some place else.
今天我得好好地把办公室主任说一顿。他每天迟到一小时,真叫我讨厌。我要叫他准时来上班,否则就到别处去另找工作。
176、to tell someone off
To tell someone off也是表示生气,但是也包含一些拒绝某人要求的意思。
例句 1 :My brother-in-law borrowed $200 from me six months ago and never paid me back. So when he tried to borrow another $200 last night, I certainly told him off.
我的姐夫半年前问我借了两百块美元,可是一直没有还我。所以当他昨天晚上又要问我借两百块美元的时候,我把他好好说了一顿,没借给他。
例句 2 :Can you believe this mechanic charged $800 to fix my car and it runs worse than it did before. Tomorrow I’ll go back to tell him off: I’ll make his ears burn for a week!
你信不信,这个修车的人给我修一下车就要我八百元,可是我的车开起来比修车以前还不如。明天,我得去骂他,我得让他一个礼拜都感到害臊。
177、hick
世界各地存在一个普遍现象,那就是城市居民和农民之间互相瞧不起,用一些贬低对方的名称称呼对方。美国人在这方面也不例外。住在像纽约这种大城市的居民往往把农民看成是一些土里土气、脑子很简单,而且容易上当受骗的人。他们认为,农民只会跟猪和牛打交道,可是不善于和人打交道。这些城里人经常把农民称为:hick。Hick这个字和中文里的乡下老差不多。但是,一个hick并不见得一辈子做乡下老。
例句 1 :See that well-dressed man across the room? That’s Mr. Green. When he came to New York 20 years ago, he was only a hick fresh out of the cornfields of Kansas. But he turned out to be a lot smarter than he looked; they say he made ten million dollars last year trading in the stock exchange.
你瞧屋子那边那个衣着很讲究的人。那是格林先生。二十年前他来纽约之前,只不过是勘萨斯州种玉米的乡巴老。他当时虽然看起来不怎么样,但是脑子却非常灵活。他们说,去年他通过买进卖出股票就赚了一千万美元。
例句 2 :My roommate in my freshman year was a real hick. He came from a town so small it didn’t have a stop light, a building with an elevator or a movie theater.
大学一年级时和我住一个房间的那个同学真是个乡下老。他的老家是一个非常小的镇,那里连红绿灯都没有,没有一个楼里有电梯的,甚至连电影院都没有。
178、city slicker
美国农民常用来贬低城里人的一个名词是:city slicker。Slick这个字的意思是很滑流。所以,一个city slicker 也就是说话很圆滑,衣着很时髦,但是很可能是一个不老实、不可信任的家伙。
例句 1 :Yep, I told Susie not to go out with any of them city slickers with their smooth talk and fancy clothes. If she has to go out, look for a farm boy. He may be a hick, but she can trust him a whole lot more.
是的,我告诉苏琦不要和那些圆嘴滑舌、衣着讲究的城里人出去玩。要是她一定要出去玩,找一个农村来的男孩。他也许是个乡巴老,但是至少是可以信得过的。
例句 2 :Sure, a city slicker looks smart as long as he stays in a place like New York. But you put him down on a farm and he won’t do much better than a newborn baby!
是的,一个油滑的城里人在像纽约这种地方看起来都很精明。但是,你要是把他送到农村去,他肯定什么也不会干,比一个新生婴儿好不了多少。
179、to throw … to the wolves
Wolf就是狼,to throw … to the wolves的意思就是:牺牲别人来解救自己。这个俗语可能是来自一个俄罗斯的民间故事。这个故事说的是,一对父母带着几个孩子坐着雪橇在雪地里行走,后面有一群狼在追他们。那个做父亲的就把他的孩子一个接着一个地扔给狼吃,这样他自己就可以安全地抵达目的地。
例句 1 :The voters have been demanding that the mayor do something about all the corruption at city hall, so he threw a couple of minor officials to the wolves–he accused them of taking bribes to issue building permits and then fired them.
选民们要求市长对市政府内部所有的贪污行为采取行动,于是他就把两名基层官员做牺牲品来保全他自己。他指责这两个基层官员在发放建筑许可证方面接受贿赂,然后就把他们解雇了。
例句 2 :Louie, we’ve got to find some small-time guys to throw to the wolves for murdering that cop. Otherwise, the cops will trace the killing right back to us.
路易,我们得在谋杀那个警察的事上找一些小喽罗来做牺牲品,否则,警察就要把这案件追根儿追到我们这儿来了。
180、to throw the baby out with the bath water
To throw the baby out with the bath water从字面上来解释就是:在泼洗澡水的时候连孩子一起泼掉了。这是很难想象的。但是这个俗语真正表达的是:在扔掉你不要的东西时把宝贵的东西都无意地一起扔掉了。例句 1 :Our company thought they’d be smart and save money by stopping the bonuses they had been giving to the salesmen who sold the most cars each month. Well, they saved a little money, but they threw the baby out with the bath water–our best salesmen quit and went to work for our biggest competitor.
我们公司取销了给每个月出售汽车最多的推销员奖金的制度,以为这样做很明智,可以省钱。可是,他们省了一点点钱却失掉了更有价值的东西,因为我们最好的推销员就此不干了,他到和我们竞争最激烈的公司去干了。
例句 2 :I’d really like to fire this man tomorrow. But if I fire him, his brother will probably leave with him. His brother is one of our best people, and I don’t want to throw the baby out with the bath water.
我可真想明天就把那个人解雇了。但是,要是我解雇他,他的哥哥也许会和他一起走。他哥哥是我们这儿最好的雇员之一,我可不要因为解雇他弟弟而失去他。
181、to throw a wet blanket on something
A wet blanket就是一张湿的毯子。To throw a wet blanket on something就是消除别人的热情或者是破坏别人的享受,即泼冷水。这个俗语来源于:当发生火灾的时候,人们往往用湿的毯子来灭火。这个俗语还经常被用来形容那些让人感到扫兴的客人。
例句 1 :Let’s not invite Dick to the dance–he is such a wet blanket with that sour look on his face and his boring talk.
我们开舞会可别请迪克,他那愁眉苦脸的样子,还老说那些没有人感兴趣的话,太扫兴了。
例句 2 :Bad news today: the government says that corporate earnings weren’t as good as expected the last quarter. That’ll throw a wet blanket over plans of investors to get into the stock market.
今天的消息可不好。政府说,上一季度私营企业的盈利并没有期望中那么好。这个消息对那些想在股票市场投资的人来说就像泼了一盆冷水一样。
182、to throw a monkey wrench
A monkey wrench就是那种用来拧螺丝的活动扳头。要是一个工人在工作的时候不小心把扳头掉到正在运转的机器里去了,那个机器就会停顿。这也正是to throw a monkey wrench的意思,那就是影响、或终止某些本来该发生的事。
例句 1 :The family and I planned to leave Monday for a two-week vacation in California. But the boss threw a monkey wrench into our plans today when he told me I have to go to a business meeting in New York next week.
我们全家计划星期一去加州两个星期渡假。但是,老板今天突然要我下星期去纽约参加一个会议,这下可把我们一家人的计划都给破坏了。
例句 2 :A federal judge threw a monkey wrench into the project to build a new oil refinery on the river. He ordered the company to stop work until they had a better plan to guard against water pollution.
联邦法官终止了在河上修建新的炼油厂的工程。他下令那个公司在制定出更好的防止水污染计划之前停止这项工程。
183、to let the cat out of the bag
从字面上来解释,to let the cat out of the bag的意思是:让那只猫从口袋里出来。但是,它的实际意思是:在不小心的情况下泻露了秘密。
例句 1 :I bought a nice wrist watch as a surprise for my wife’s birthday. But I’m afraid I let the cat out of the bag–I hid it under my socks and she found it when she was putting my clean clothes away.
我给我太太买了一只很好的手表作为生日礼。我把手表藏在我的袜子底下,可是当我太太替我把乾净衣服放好的时候,她发现了那只手表。所以,我的秘密恐怕已经泄露了。
例句 2 :It was supposed to be a secret that we were firing our accountant for stealing money. But one of the secretaries saw the memo and let the cat out of the bag by telling her friends.
我们解雇了我们的会计,因为他偷钱。这件事原来是应该是保密的。但是,一个秘书看见了一张有关这件事的条子,然后就告诉了她的朋友,这样就泄露了秘密。
184、look like the cat that ate the canary
Canary就是金丝雀。Look like the cat that ate the canary这个俗语是用来形容一个人显得非常满足,就像一只猫终于实现了它长期来的愿望,把鸟笼打开,把里面那只可怜的金丝雀吃了一样地感到满足。
例句 1 :My friend didn’t listen to my advice and he bet twenty dollars on the horse. Why, I couldn’t believe my eyes! The horse won by a nose and my friend came back with the two thousand bucks he’d just won, looking like the cat that ate the canary.
我的朋友没有听我的劝告,在那个马身上压了二十美元。我真是难以相信我的眼睛。那匹马跑得快了一点点就赢了。我那朋友拿了他刚赢的二千块美元回来,得意非凡。
例句 2 :Say, I think Mister Green in Personnel just got that promotion he’s been wanting so much. I saw him walk out of the boss’s office like the cat that just ate the canary.
喂,人事处那个格林先生好像升了一级,这是他迫切期望的。我看见他从老板的办公室出来,一副心满意足的样子。
185、rain or shine
有的活动不管天气如何都照常进行,这在中文里就是:风雨无阻。美国人的说法是:rain or shine。Rain or shine简单地说就是:不管下雨或出太阳,一切照常进行。
例句 1 :There is one big difference between baseball and football in America. If it’s a rainy day, we don’t play baseball. But teams play football rain or shine. In fact, I’ve seen football games played in a snowstorm.
在美国,棒球和美式足球有一个很大的区别。要是天下雨,我们就不打棒球。可是,美式足球却是风雨无阻的。我还见过大雪天比赛美式足球的呢。
Rain or shine还可以解释为:不管在什么情况下。
例句 2 :I haven’t seen mother and dad and the rest of the family for ten years, but I still know I can count on them rain or shine.
我已经有十年没见到我的父母和其他家人了。但是,我知道不管在什么情况下,我肯定会得到他们的帮助的。换句话说也就是,不管他干什么,不管他是穷是富,他家里的人都会关心他、帮助他的。
186、rainy day
Rainy day的意思是:今后可能需要钱的时候,也就是准备一些钱,以防万一。
例句 1 :Every week when I get my paycheck, I always try to put fifty dollars in my savings account for a rainy day. Who knows–I might lose my job someday or get sick and not be able to work!
每星期我拿到工资后,我总是想办法存五十美元到银行里去,以防万一。谁知道呀,也许哪一天我失业了,或者生病不能工作了。
例句 2 :When you’re twenty-five years old, sometimes it’s hard to worry about rainy days off in the future. But if you’re smart, you’ll start saving for rainy days because rainy days come to us all.
当你只有二十五岁的时候,你恐怕很难为将来的需要担心。但是,要是你很聪明的话,你就会为将来遇到的困难而开始攒钱,因为每个人都会有穷困的时候。
187、buddy
Buddy这个字在军队里特别普遍,但是一般平民用的也非常多。Buddy这个字已经有一百五十多年的历史了,它来自brother,因此,buddy这个字可以说是指那些和你亲如兄弟一样的朋友。
例句 1 :What sticks most in my mind is all the good buddies I saw killed there. I’ll remember their faces as long as I live, because they were like brothers to me.
在我脑子里印象最深的是那些我亲眼看到被杀害的好朋友。我这一辈子也忘不了他们的脸,因为他们就像是我的亲兄弟一样。
例句 2 :Sally and I don’t have any romantic interest in each other. We’re just good buddies who come from the same town and enjoy having a cup of coffee and talking about people we both know.
我和沙莉都没有谈情说爱的意思。我们是同乡,也是好朋友。我们喜欢在一起喝杯咖啡,谈谈大家认识的人而已。
188、sidekick
Sidekick这个字的来源很有趣。以前,那些小偷把西装裤两边的口袋叫做sidekick。要从这两个口袋里偷钱包是最困难的,因为人们在走路的时候两只手老是在口袋边摆动。逐渐,sidekick这个字就演变到好朋友的意思,指那些非常忠实的朋友,每当你需要的时候,他们总会在你身边帮忙的。
例句 1 :I’m really looking forward to the tenth reunion of the class of 1983. For one thing it’s a chance to see my old sidekick Billy Bob. We roomed together, played side by side on the football team–well, he was my best buddy back in the good old days.
我真是迫不及待地想去参加83届的第十次同学会。这是我见到老朋友比利鲍伯的一个机会。我和他那时住在一个房间里,在足球队里一起踢球,他真是我当年最好的朋友。
例句 2 :In the old cowboy movies I used to see as a boy, all the heroes had a sidekick. The sidekick was never as smart or handsome or brave as the hero but he was always there to help out in times of danger.
在我小时候看的那些西部电影里,所有的英雄人物都有一个亲密的朋友。而这个朋友总是没有那个英雄那么聪明、英俊和勇敢,但是每当发生危险的时候,他总是在那里全力相助。
189、to put on the dog
To put on the dog就是摆排场给别人看。大概一百多年以前,一些有钱的人往往化很多钱去买一只稀有品种的小狗来显示自己很有钱。一些阔太太们经常在接待客人的时候把一只小狗抱在腿上来眩耀自己的阔气。当时耶鲁大学的学生就创造了to put on the dog这一说法来嘲笑那些暴发户。
例句 1 :Joe Doak is sure putting on the dog since his rich aunt died and left him 10 million dollars. He’s bought the biggest house in town and a Mercedes 600, and talks about buying some riding horses.
乔多克自从他阿姨去世,留给他一千万美元遗产以后,他可真是摆阔气。他买了城里最大的一栋房子,还有一辆奔驰600型号的汽车。他还在说要买几匹马供他骑马玩呢。
例句 2 :I had this friend in the army who was the son of one of the richest men in the country. But what I like about him was that he never put on the dog to show off his money.
我在部队服役的时候有个朋友,他的爸爸是美国最有钱的人之一。我很喜欢这个朋友,因为他从来也不炫耀自己多么有钱。
190、to go to the dogs
这个俗语的意思就是:变得很穷,一败涂地,彻底破落。比如说,在十九世纪的时候,美国西部发现金矿的地区出现了一个又一个新的城镇。许多人到那里去淘金,都想发家致富。可是后来怎么样了呢?
例句 1 :As soon as the gold was all gone, these towns went to the dogs almost overnight. Everybody moved away, and these places are ghost towns now, with the wind whistling through the empty houses and shops.
等到金子都淘光了,这些城镇一下子就被人遗弃,彻底完蛋了。那里所有的人都走了,剩下的只有风在吹过空房子和商店的时候发出的沙沙声。
例句 2 :I always thought my friend Pete had a good future. But then he got hooked on heroin and lost his job and his wife–I never saw a man go to the dogs so fast!
我总以为我的朋友皮特是很有前途的。但是后来他吸上了毒品,失去了工作,妻子也走了。我从来没有看到过任何人破落得这么快的!
191、to let sleeping dogs lie
To let sleeping dogs lie,从字面上来看,这个俗语的意思就是不要去惹正在睡觉的狗,因为睡着了的狗不会咬人。换句话说,也就是:要是采取什么行动会给自己或别人带来麻烦,那么最好还是保持现状,不要采取行动。
例句 1 :If I were you, I would not tell Nellie you saw her husband having lunch with another woman. It might have been perfectly innocent, so I’d let sleeping dogs lie.
要是我是你的话,我就不会去告诉内利你看见她丈夫和另一个女人一起吃午饭的事。也许他们根本就没有什么事,所以你还是别惹麻烦。
例句 2 :Can you prove that your neighbor stole your lawnmower? If not and you call the cops, he could make real trouble for you. Better to let sleeping dogs lie!
你有证据证明你的邻居偷了你的割草机吗?要是你没有证据,又去报了警,他可以给你制造好多麻烦的。你还是算了吧!
192、Every dog has his day
Every dog has his day这个俗语的意思是:每个人总会有实现自己愿望的一天。
例句 1 :Darling, I know how upset you are that you didn’t get the promotion. But don’t take it too hard–your turn will come. You know what they say–every dog has his day!
亲爱的,我知道你因为没有被提升而感到很不高兴。你可别把这件事看的太重了。你以后会有机会的。就像他们说的:人人都有得意之时嘛。
例句 2 :Okay, so this publisher sent back your manuscript. There are plenty of other publishers. You’ll find one who’ll buy it–remember, every dog has his day!
行了,就算这个出版商把你的手稿退了回来,那还有好多出版商呢。你会找到一个愿意接受你作品的出版商的。别忘了,人人都会有机会的。
193、to throw a curve
美国人在打棒球时经常喜欢发曲线球,使球的方向会发生突变,这样给对方造成错觉,不能回击那个球。这和其他球类运动,如排球、乒乓球或网球,在发球时发转球的作用也很相似。逐渐地,这种让对方产生错觉,因而无法应付的球艺变成了日常用语:to throw a curve。Curve就是曲线的意思。To throw a curve就是在打棒球时发曲线球。但是作为俗语,它的意思是给别人造成错觉,让他难以应付。
例句 1 :Professor Green certainly threw us a curve today. Half the questions were from parts of the book he told us to read but he never covered them in class. Of course, most of us didn’t bother to read the stuff, so we really got caught.
格林教授今天可真是把我们难住了。考题的一半是他要我们看的那本书里的内容,可是他从来也没有在课堂上讲过。我们大多数人也都没有化时间去看那玩意儿,所以今天我们突然发现无法应付考题了。
To throw a curve还可以解释为“欺骗”。
例句 2 :My supervisor threw me a curve when he told me he would recommend me for the promotion. He didn’t tell me he was also recommending three other people for the same job. So I didn’t get it.
我的上司欺骗了我,他告诉我他要建议给我提升。可是,他没有告诉我他同时还推荐了另外三个人担任同一个职位。结果我没有被提升。
194、to throw for a loop
Loop是圆圈的意思。To throw for a loop是指“感到非常震惊”或者是“情绪很波动”。
例句 1 :Bill told me he couldn’t take me out last night because he had to study for a big exam. So it threw me for a loop when I saw him walking into the movie theater with that stupid girl who sits next to him in biology class.
比尔告诉我,他昨天晚上不能带我去玩,因为他要准备大考。所以,当我看到他和那个生物课坐在他旁边的傻姑娘一起走进电影院的时候我真是大吃一惊。
例句 2 :When I saw my semester grade for the chemistry course, it really threw me for a loop! I was sure I’d get at least a “B”–but there it was in black and white: a “D”. So I barely managed to pass.
当我看到我的化学课学期成绩的时候,我真是吓了一跳。我满以为我至少能得一个“B”,可是白纸上写的黑字是一个“D”。所以我刚刚及格。
195、crocodile tears
Crocodile就是鳄鱼。Crocodile tears和中国人常说的“猫哭老鼠假慈悲”是一样的意思。Crocodile tears这个俗语来自一个古老的神话,说是鳄鱼往往发出一种哭的声音来引诱那些它们要吃的动物,然后一面吃一面流眼泪。这当然不是事实,但是这个说法已经成为了常用语,指的是鳄鱼的眼泪,实际上也就是“猫哭老鼠假慈悲”。
例句 1 :The truth is that Pete never liked his rich Uncle John. But you should have seen his crocodile tears when the old man died and left him a million dollars!
皮特从来都不喜欢他那有钱的叔叔约翰,这是事实。可是那老人去世的时候给他留了一百万美元,你可真该看看皮特当时那假流泪的样子。
例句 2 :In his speeches the mayor always puts on a big show of crocodile tears for poor and homeless people. But I don’t see him doing anything to help them.
这位市长在讲话时总是装得好像他对穷人和无家可归的人非常同情。但是,我并没有见到他做些什么来帮助他们。
196、sob story
Sob是哭泣的意思,story就是故事。Sob story的意思就是某人编造一个令人伤心的故事来赢得别人的同情,甚至于让人给钱来帮助他。
例句 1 :Usually I don’t give money to beggars. But this nice young man told me a sob story about needing money for a bus ticket to see his dying mother, so I gave him two dollars.
一般我是不给乞丐钱的。但是,这个看上去挺不错的年轻人告诉我他需要钱坐公共汽车去看他那快要死的妈妈。他说得这么悲惨,我就给了他两块钱。
例句 2 :On my way to work this man stopped me and said he hadn’t eaten in three days so I gave him a dollar. On my way home I saw him get into a new car and drive off and I know now he had given me a sob story.
在我去上班的路上那个人挡住了我,对我说,他已经三天没吃东西了。所以我给了他一块钱。可是,我在回家的路上看见他跨进了一辆新的汽车后就开走了。我这才知道他说的事全是假的。
197、to cry in one’s beer
有不少美国人经常到酒吧间去,一面喝酒,一面聊天。还有的人在心情不好的时候喜欢到酒吧间去喝酒解闷。To cry in one’s beer,它的意思是坐在酒吧间里对着啤酒哭,自己可怜自己。
例句 1 :Come on, Joe! Instead of sitting around in a bar all day crying in your beer about not having any money, why not get off your bottom and go out and look for a job!
行了,乔伊!与其成天坐在酒吧间里,为了没有钱而可怜自己,你为什么不振作起来到外面去找个工作呢!
例句 2 :I’m tired of hearing my roommate crying in his beer about how hard it is to get good grades. If he’d stay home and study instead of going out every night, I’m sure he’d do a lot better in his classes.
我那同宿舍的同学老是自我怜悯,说要得到好分数是多么的难。我听得都烦死了。要是他每天晚上呆在家里念书,而不是老出去玩,我肯定他的成绩会好得多。
198、cry baby
大家有没有碰到过一种老是哭哭啼啼、抱怨日常生活中一些琐事的人?美国人把这种人叫作:cry baby。
例句 1 :Come on, Jack, you’re twenty years old–don’t be such a cry baby about everything. We all have our problems, but you ought to do something about them instead of just complaining.
行啦,杰克,你已经二十岁了,别有一点儿事就哭。我们大家都会碰到一些问题的。但是,你得想办法来解决问题,而不能老是抱怨。
例句 2 :Bill, don’t be such a cry baby about going to the dentist: all he’s going to do is clean your teeth. Look at your little sister–she’s not making a fuss about it.
比尔,别为了去看牙就哭哭啼啼的。他只是替你洗洗牙而已。看看你的妹妹,她就没有这样大惊小怪的。
199、cloudy
Cloud这个字是名词,意思是云。Cloud后面加一个字母y就成了形容词,意思是:多云。但是,它的含意也可以解释为:暗淡、不乐观;或者解释为不清楚,不明确。
例句 1 :When you look at all the trouble spots around the globe right now, the future of international trade looks very cloudy.
要是你看看当前全球所有有问题的地方,国际贸易的前景看来是很暗淡的。”换句话说也就是,这位播音员认为国际贸易的前景并不乐观。
例句 2 :I’d have to say the chances are cloudy. We have quite a bit of support for this bill but we’re not sure that we have enough votes to get it passed.
我觉得很难肯定。支持这项提案的人还不少,但是我们不敢肯定我们会有足够的票数来通过这项提案。
200、in the clouds
我们每个人恐怕都有白日做梦的时候。有的时候,我们一边走路,一边在想心事,或者是一边做什么事,一边在想其他事情,身边发生什么事全然没有注意到。美国人把这叫做:in the clouds,这个短语可以解释为:心不在焉,思想开小差。
例句 1 :Sally is my best friend but she walked right past me today, and didn’t even say hello. Her head certainly was in the clouds–she looked like her mind was a thousand miles away.
沙莉是我最好的朋友,可是,她今天在我身旁走过,连招呼都没有跟我打。她肯定在白日做梦,看起来她的心思好像在一千哩以外的地方。
例句 2 :I was really embarrassed–the teacher asked me a question and I didn’t even hear him; I was daydreaming and my head was in the clouds.
我当时真是非常难堪。老师问我问题,我根本没有听见。那时,我刚好在做白日梦,思想在开小差。

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