76.Brown Nosing
和幾個(gè)美國(guó)朋友去Courtney家做客開(kāi)Party,一進(jìn)門Vincent就對(duì)著Courtney大喊大叫說(shuō):"你今天可真漂亮",我瞧了一眼 Courtney,見(jiàn)她只不過(guò)穿了一件白T恤衫配牛仔短褲,哪里值得他這樣大驚小怪。Courtney見(jiàn)我不解的樣子就說(shuō):"He’s brown nosing"。
我看看Vincent,見(jiàn)他臉鼻子倒是都曬得紅紅的,就回說(shuō):"你說(shuō)他曬得太過(guò)頭了,是嗎?"於是輪到Courtney莫名其妙。
原來(lái)brown nosing是阿諛?lè)畛械囊馑?,尤其用於下?duì)上,相當(dāng)於俗語(yǔ)中的"拍馬屁","馬屁精"之意。下次如果見(jiàn)到有人對(duì)上司拍馬屁,就可以說(shuō)"He’s brown nosing"!
77.A Smooth Talker
"Go, wash up for lunch,“Irma called to Orty?!監(jiān)K,“Orty replied,yet when he finally showed up at the table,he was covered with mud from head to toe!”The soap was so wet and slippery I couldn’t hold it,“he explained。Irma sighed?!盕or a little kid,you sure are a a smooth talker!"she said。A smooth talker is someone-even a little kid!--who knows just how to choose his words to please or flatter someone.
“去,洗洗吃飯?!睈?ài)瑪對(duì)兒子奧迪說(shuō),奧迪回答:”好的?!暗撬霈F(xiàn)在餐桌旁邊的時(shí)候卻渾身臟兮兮的!他解釋說(shuō):”香皂又濕又滑,我抓不住?!皭?ài)瑪嘆了口氣說(shuō):”好個(gè)油嘴滑舌的小家伙!
“A smooth talker”是指一個(gè)油腔滑調(diào)的人(甚至是小孩子),他知道用話來(lái)取悅,甚至阿諛?lè)畛兴?
78.Keep your eyes peeled
某日我們?nèi)v史博物館參觀,博物館一位女職員帶領(lǐng)著觀眾往各室游覽。到達(dá)古物展覽室時(shí),她再三說(shuō)這里皆是真稀的古董,請(qǐng)各位仔細(xì)查看研究才好!
她又對(duì)我家小兒子說(shuō):"Keep your eyes peeled。"小兒子不懂悄悄問(wèn)我:"媽媽,看了這些古物會(huì)傷眼睛嗎?怎么我的眼睛要削皮呢?"她不知道這是表示【你要用心看仔細(xì)觀察的意思?!?/p>
79.cast pearls before swine
雖然我苦口婆心、費(fèi)盡唇舌勸朋友戒煙還給他提供不同的方法和知道,但他始終戒不了,依然是煙不離手。他說(shuō)他已有11年歷史了,是個(gè)老煙民,沒(méi)法擺脫抽煙的習(xí)慣。
好友Carmen安慰我說(shuō):“Don’t waste your time and breath. It’s not worth casting pearls before swine(豬玀)!”我聽(tīng)了不禁大笑起來(lái),因?yàn)橄氩坏剿龝?huì)形容那人為“豬玀”。
見(jiàn)我大笑,Carmen向我解釋,她并沒(méi)有挖苦或貶低那人的意思,而“cast pearls before swine”是句英文成語(yǔ),與中文成語(yǔ)“對(duì)牛彈琴”含義相同。
80.caught redhanded
某天晚上,我約了好友Carmen一起去看電影。我在電影院入口處等了她一個(gè)小時(shí)卻依然看不到她的蹤影。正當(dāng)我等得心急如焚之際,她面帶恐懼、氣喘吁吁地跑過(guò)來(lái)對(duì)我說(shuō)在一家便利店目擊了一宗搶劫案。她說(shuō)哪個(gè)劫匪攜有手槍并命令店內(nèi)的人跪下來(lái),否則就開(kāi)槍。
我聽(tīng)罷不禁擔(dān)心起來(lái),連忙問(wèn)她最后怎么樣,她嘆了一聲說(shuō):“After struggling with the police for half an hour, the robber was caught redhanded at last.”我一聽(tīng)到“redhanded”這個(gè)詞,心里便發(fā)抖,腦中不禁聯(lián)想到一名“滿手鮮血”的兇徒來(lái),于是膽戰(zhàn)心驚地問(wèn)她有多少人被劫匪殺害了。
Carmen不明所以地回答我說(shuō),沒(méi)有人在劫案中喪生。我忽然困惑起來(lái),反問(wèn)她如果那劫匪沒(méi)有殺人,他的雙手怎么會(huì)紅?Carmen恍然大悟地向我解釋:“Caught red-handed ”是“當(dāng)場(chǎng)被捕”的意思,并非你所想的“滿手鮮血”那么可怕!