日积月累话俚话.doc

日积月累话俚话
1. in hot water 面临严重困难
英语里有好些习惯用语都和“水”,就是 water 这个词有关系。有的用 hot water ,还有的用 cold water 或 deep water .在英语里用这些词汇组成的习惯用语就和水一样普遍。但是,它们都有一个共同的特点,那就是它们一般都含有贬义。
in hot water 的意思并不是“在热水中”,它的确切意思是指某人或某些人遇到非常麻烦的问题了。
「现学现卖」
Joe is really in hot water now - his girlfriend just found out he’s seeing another woman.
That movie actor tried to cheat on his e tax, but he got caught and now he’s in hot water with the government.
2. to throw cold water on something
泼冷水
to throw cold water on something 和中文里说的“泼冷水”意思完全一样。
「现学现卖」
下面的例子是一个人在说他办公室里发生的事: Everybody else in the office thought my idea was great, but the boss threw cold water on it.
这是一个儿子在说他的爸爸: I’ve been planning to go to medical school but my dad threw cold water on this idea the other day when he told me he wasn’t sure he had the money to pay my tuition for so long.
3. It goes in one ear and out the other.
左耳朵进,右耳朵出
中国人经常说那些不听劝告的人对别人的话总是“一个耳朵进,一个耳朵出”,把它们当作“耳边风”,或者说“左耳朵进,右耳朵出”。美国人和中国人在这个说法上是完全一样的。他们是这样说的:“ It goes in one ear and out the other. ”
「现学现卖」
下面是一个父亲在说他的女儿: I told Sally it was foolish to marry that man, but it went in one ear and out the other. Now she wishes she’d listened to me. He drinks and she wants to leave him.
下面这个例子是一个老板在对他的秘书说话: How many times have I told you to get to work on time. But my words just go in one ear and out the other. So I don’t have any choice but to fire you