高中英语俚语系列---第三辑讲义.doc

031 Eagle eye/Eagle-eyed 眼神锐利的；有眼光的An eagle-eyed investor needs the ability to know the perfect time to spend his money.有眼光的投资者得有把握时机的能力。历史典故这个俚语从字面上理解意思为“鹰眼，像鹰眼一样的”。众所周知，鹰的眼睛锐利有神，这样才能搏击长空、俯瞰大地，锁定目标、一举拿下。所以这个俚语引申下去，不仅可以形容一个人眼神锐利，更经常用于形容眼光独到的人。对话Kevin: I ran into Jobs in the street yesterday.我昨天在街上遇到乔布斯了。Rose:Jobs?The one who dropped out of college?乔布斯？大学时候辍学的那人吗？Kevin: Yes. He started a high-tech company andmade quite a fortune.没错。他后来开了家高科技公司，狠赚了一笔。Rose: Good for him.I know he's got a pair of eagle eyes.那挺好。我就知道他很有眼光。032 (one's)Ears are burning(某人的)耳朵发烫Don't blame him like that any more. His ears are burning.别再那样责备他了，他已经无地自容了。历史典故在古罗马时期，民间流传着这样的迷信如果别人说你坏话，你的耳朵就会发烫。于是这个迷信说法就被流传下来。对话Kevin: How dare you cheat in the exam?你怎么敢在考试中作弊？Rose:I was afraid I could not pass it.我害怕自己过不了。Kevin: You are a college student, and to be honest in the exam is a basic demand to any student.你是个大学生了，考试中诚信是对任何一个学生的基本要求。Rose: OK, I am sorry. I had been caught and my ears are burning now.So don't blame me any more.好了，对不起，我都被抓住了，现在是羞愧难当，你就别再怪我了。Kevin:It should been a lesson to you.希望你吸取教训。033 Eat your heart out/Eat(one's) heart out 伤心欲绝Tom almost ate his heart out when he heard that the girl he had been loving would marry someone else.当听说一直以来心爱的女孩要嫁给其他人时，汤姆伤心欲绝。历史典故这个俚语从字面上就能看出其意。把某人的心都吃了，那可不是伤心欲绝么。据说这个说法源于圣经里的“eat one's own flesh”。对话Rose: Let's say good-bye to each other.我们分手吧。Kevin:You really don't care about me any more, even when I eat my heart out?你真的不再关心我了吗？即便我伤心欲绝你也不管了吗？Rose: Sorry, Kevin, you will find someone better than me.对不起，凯文，你会找到比我更好的。034 Egg on(one's) face 丢脸；尴尬Johnson said he would rather have egg on his face than deaths on his hands.约翰逊表示，他宁愿让人们唾骂也不愿让人们因他的工作失误而死。历史典故这个俚语很有画面感，也很幽默。其源于20世纪60年代的美国，观众在看演出时，如果觉得演得不好，有的人就会往台上砸鸡蛋，这样演员别提有多尴尬了。对话Kevin:I have screwed my job up.How should I face to my boss?我把工作搞砸了，我怎么面对我的老板啊？Rose: I think it is normal to make mistake. Don't worry about that.我觉得犯错误很正常。不用担心。Kevin: I once made a big mistake at the office and felt foolish.Once again I had egg on my face.我之前有一次在办公室里犯了错误就觉得好蠢啊，这一次我又丢脸了。Rose:Things will be done.It's OK.问题会解决的，没事的。035 Every cloud has a silver lining天无绝人之路；凡事都有好的一面Every cloud has a silver lining, so stop complaining about the suffering you have experienced.凡事都有好的一面，不要再抱怨你遭受的苦难。历史典故这个俚语的字面意思是每片云都会露出一道光边。也就是再怎么糟糕也会有一线生机。这个用法最早出现在英国诗人约翰·米尔顿(John Milton)于1634年写下的酒神可莫斯(Comus)一诗中。对话Rose: How about your company?I have heard that you have stuck in the financial crisis.你公司怎么了？我听说你陷入经济危机了。Kevin: Much better now.It almost had been shut down.However, every cloud has a silver lining.A bank agreed to lend me enough capital to save my business.现在好多了，当初差点就倒闭了，但是天无绝人之路。一家银行同意贷款给我，我的公司又活过来了。Rose:Oh,congratulations!哦，那祝贺你啊！Kevin: Thank you!谢谢！036 Everything but the kitchen sink 万事俱备It looks like you've packed everything but the kitchen sink into your suitcase.看起来你把所有家当都打包进行李箱了。历史典故若想要了解这个俚语的意思，先想象一下所有你可以从家中带走的东西。你可以带走家具、家电、床、地毯等，但可能带不走已经固定住的大型物品.如浴缸或厨房洗碗柜，所以这句话是在强调你带的东西已经够多了。这个说法始于20世纪初。对话Kevin:Hey,check out my new cell phone.嘿，看看我的新手机。Rose: It looks nice. What features does it have?好漂亮。它有什么功能啊？Kevin: It's got a camera, an MP3 player, a calendar, a calculator, and lots of games. Oh, and I can also surf the internet and check my email.有相机、MP3播放器、日历、计算器还有很多游戏。哦，我还可以上网和收电子邮件。Rose: Wow, it sounds like it's got everything but the kitchen sink.哇，看来该有的全有了。037 (one's)Eyes are bigger than (one's) stomach 贪多吃不下Eyes are bigger than stomach,but what we want is always more than what we need.贪多嚼不烂，但我们所欲往往多于我们所需。历史典故这个俚语从字面就能理解，就是吃的东西太多，消化不了。这个俚语源自16世纪，后来的意思也不再只是字面意思，也用来比喻人眼高手低，贪得无厌。对话Kevin: It is a beautiful thing to learn to play the piano from you. Would you please to teach me more everyday?I think the progress is a little slow.跟你学钢琴真是一件美妙的事。你每天能不能多教我一些？我觉得我们的进程太慢了。Rose: Kevin,your eyes are bigger than your stomach.凯文，你贪多会吃不下的。Kevin: OK, I see. I just give a proposal.好的，我明白了，我也只是提议而已。038 Face the music 面对困难，承担后果A man with integrity should face the music for what he has done.正直的人应当为自己的行为承担后果。历史典故这个俚语从字面上理解应为“面对音乐”。面对音乐为何会和承担后果扯上关系？原来在早期的歌剧院，演员是面向乐池的，乐师们就在乐池内为歌剧伴奏。但演员有时候会出现忘词、演错的尴尬情况，这时候只能对着依旧乐声不断的乐池干瞪眼了。后来该用法演化为勇敢面对困难，承担后果，接受惩罚的意思。对话Kevin: I'm so blue today.我好郁闷。Rose:What happened to you?怎么了？Kevin: My sister broke the vase. However,my mother blamed me for that.我。化打了，但我妈却责怪了Rose: That's so unfair, your sister should face the music instead of lying.真不公平。你姐姐不该撒谎，而应该承担后果。039 Fair and square 光明正大As a man,we should be fair and square and do everything uprightly.作为男人，我们要光明正大，做每一件事都要正直无私。历史典故这个俚语跟中文中的公平、正大是对应的。其最早源于17世纪，当时“square”与“fair”是一个意思，当时许多木工制品都是方正的(square)，表示没有偷工减料，即公平的、正直的。所以这个俚语双重肯定公平正义以表示强调。对话Kevin: CheckmateI won the chess game!将军我赢了这局！Rose: Wait a minute. You cheated.等等，你作弊。Kevin:cheated?How?I beat you fair and square.作弊？怎么可能？我光明正大赢你的。Rose:I don't know how you cheated, but I'm sure you did some how.我不知道你怎么作弊的，但我就是知道你有。040 Fall on deaf ears 石沉大海His leave is just like falling on deaf ears, and I have never heard of him since then.他的离开就像石沉大海，从那以后我再也没有听过他的消息。历史典故这个俚语最早源于15世纪，意思就是说给耳朵听不到声音的人听，那自然是石沉大海了。据说这个用法源于圣经里的“turn a deaf ear”。表示不重视某件事。对话Kevin: The stock market is horrible. I have invested 10 million yuan accumulating,but they just fall on deaf ears.股市真是太可怕了。我已经累积投进去1000万了，但都犹如石沉大海。Rose: That is your problem.I have earned half million yuan in a year from it.那就是你的问题了，我一年时间就赚了50万。Kevin: Are you kidding?Please tell me your magic now. Thank you very much!你不是开玩笑吧，快告诉我你的秘诀，非常感谢！041 (A)Far cry from 相差很多After 4 years' college life, I am far cry from the shy student in high school.经过4年大学生活，我跟高中时期腼腆的自己相比，实在相差很多。历史典故大家都知道“fat”是“远”的意思。那远到让人哭泣，岂不是远在天边了？没错，这个俚语起初用来形容地理位置相距非常远，比如从北京到南极，就可以说“Beijing is far cry from the South Pole.”但后来，该用法渐渐引申为与某人、某事或某物相差甚远的意思，表示差距大。对话Kevin: Hey, Rose.I heard that your company went public last month.Congratulations!嘿，萝丝。听说你的公司上个月上市了啊，恭喜恭喜！Rose: Thanks. I am still excited now.多谢，我到现在还是抑制不住兴奋。Kevin: You should be. You started this businessfrom scratch.It is far cry from the beginning.兴奋是理所当然的。你白手起家，干成了这番事业。跟最初相比，真是天壤之别。042 Feather in (one's) cap 丰功伟业To be chosen to play for the distinguished guest at the reception was really a feather in the cap for the young pianist.被选中在招待会上为那位贵宾演奏，对那位年轻的钢琴家来说是一种殊荣。历史典故这个俚语的字面意思是“帽子上的羽毛”。这个表达源自北美印第安人。相信大家听到印第安人时会联想到他们满头的羽毛。据说他们每次在战场上杀死一个敌人，就会在头顶插一根羽毛。对话Kevin:I have heard that Tom is dealing with abig order.我听说汤姆正在接手一笔大订单。Rose: Good for him. If he clinches this deal, that'll really be a feather in the cap!这好啊，如果他能做成这笔交易，那可真是一个了不起的成绩。Kevin: Yeah, he has been in leisure for a long time.是啊，他已经闲了很长时间了。043 Fight fire with fire 以火攻火；以毒攻毒To deal with this gang of bullies, we must fight fire with fire.要对付这帮恶棍，我们必须以毒攻毒。历史典故这个俚语的字面意思与中国的以火攻火是完全对应的。据说19世纪中期，美国西部的人民为了防止敌人放火，会先把一块空地烧光作为防火墙，这样就能保卫自己了。对话Kevin: How are the negotiations going?协商结果怎么样？Rose: Not very well. The other side is reallytough.不太顺利，对方态度很强硬。Kevin: So that are you going to do?那你打算怎么办？Rose: I'm going to get even tougherI'm going to fight fine with fire.我打算更加强硬，我要以火攻火。044 First-rate 一流的For cigar, I only have the first-rate brands.对于雪茄，我只吸一流品牌的。历史典故这个但语源于17世纪的英国海军舰队。他们会根据船舰的功能和火力将船分为六个等级。最好的军舰就是第一级的、一流的。后来这个词渐渐被运用到各领域，用来指品质最好的事物。对话Kevin: Do you like football?你喜欢足球吗？Rose: Yeah, of course.是的，当然喜欢。Kevin:Which player do you like most?哪个球员你最喜欢？Rose: The Argentina player, Messi, he is an absolutely first-rate player.阿根廷的梅西，他绝对是个一流球员。Kevin:So, I guess you also like FC Barce Lona.我猜测你也喜欢巴塞罗那俱乐部。Rose: Of course, it's my favorite.当然，那是我的最爱。045 Fly-by-night 不可信任的，不可靠的Don't count on Tom, because he is such a fly-by- night guy.别指望汤姆了，因为他是个不靠谱的家伙。历史典故这个俚语的字面意思是“在夜里飞”。据说是源于形容以前的巫婆总是在夜里骑着扫帚飞过。而几百年前，巫婆就是骗子的代名词，所以这个用法用于形容人不可靠。现代美语中，这个俚语更多用于形容某个商人“不可靠，不可信任”。对话Kevin: Rose, the information you gave me was quite amazing.From whom did you get it?得到關，你给我的消息很令人吃的啊，你从难那儿Rose: The guy with whom you always contact.就是你之前经常和他联系的那个人。Kevin: Oh, he is fly-by-night, and so is his information.哦，他不可靠，他的消息也不可靠。Rose:How possible?I'll check it.怎么可能？我核实一下。8