在美國有許多常用的字眼,往往使學(xué)習(xí)英語的中國人感到不解。在此,舉一些例子供讀者參考。
1. Head
Start:如果這兩個字開頭的字母是大寫,則連在一起是一個專有名詞,指的是美國政府為貧窮或弱智的兒童設(shè)立的一種訓(xùn)練機(jī)構(gòu),幫助他們,希望他們在進(jìn)小學(xué)之前能趕上教學(xué)進(jìn)度。也就是:U.S.
government tries to give extra - help for those
underprivileged children before entering first grade.
(underprivileged 比 poor 更委婉些)
例如: Many poor parents send their children to Head Start.
但是如果head start的字母是小寫,那么就是普通名詞了,是指比別人早著手,或領(lǐng)先、
有利,即:advance start or advantage
例如:In order to give his son a head start, the father
decided to send him to a private
kindergarten.(為了讓他的兒子有好的開始,他決定把兒子送到私立幼兒園去。)
To know more colloquial expressions is a head start in
learning English. (了解更多的俗語對學(xué)習(xí)英語有好處。)
2. blue blood:是指有錢人或出身富家的人 (rich or wealthy people)
例如:He has blue blood.或He is blue blooded (person).
Mr. Lin comes from a blue blooded family. (林先生出身豪門。)
Some people do not want to admit that they have blue
blood. (有些人不愿承認(rèn)自己是富家出身。)
Many blue blooded children attend this private school.
(許多有錢人家的孩子就讀這所私立學(xué)校。)
3. bed of roses:意思是稱心如意的境遇;美好、理想的"安樂窩"(everything seems
to be wonderful)
例如:Life is not always a bed of roses. (生活未必都是稱心如意的。)
Young people think that marriage will be a bed of roses.
(年輕人都認(rèn)為婚姻是美好的。)
4. from soup to nuts:意思是從頭到尾,自始至終;或是一應(yīng)俱全,完整詳盡(多半是指物品方面)。
例如:This store sells everything from soup to nuts.
(這家商店出售的貨品一應(yīng)俱全。)
My office is supplied from soup to nuts. (我辦公室里的用品十分齊全。)
但是如果指知識豐富的話,則不用這個詞,而是通常用 from A to Z來表達(dá),。
例如:Mr. Greenspan knows economics from A to Z.
(格林斯潘先生在經(jīng)濟(jì)方面的知識非常豐富。)
5. real blast:blast 本來是指"一陣狂風(fēng)"。但在口語中則是指歡樂,或玩得愉快,很盡興
(have a good time; usually refers to a party or
gathering.)
例如:Miss Su had a (real) blast at the party.
(蘇小姐在派對上玩得很痛快。)
I hope our get-together will be a (real) blast.
(我希望我們相聚的時光是愉快的。)
注:blast 前面用 real 形容,是起到加強(qiáng)語氣的作用。
6. off-limits:意思是禁止入內(nèi);限制進(jìn)出或不準(zhǔn)使用,也就是關(guān)閉 (closed or not
available)例如:The library will be off-limits to the
public until re-carpeting project is completed.
(新地毯鋪好之前,圖書館閉館。)
The teachers have the use of a john that is off-limits
to students.(學(xué)生不得使用教師廁所。) (john小寫的時候才是指廁所。)
或 This bathroom is off-limits to students.
7. next of kin:是指家人或者近親(closest relatives or anyone in
the family)。
在美國,所謂"親人"也是依每個人的不同情況而定的,可能是夫婦、父母、兒女,或是叔叔嬸嬸、表兄弟姐妹。
例如:If a person has a serious car accident, his or her
next of kin will be notified. (如果遭遇嚴(yán)重車禍,當(dāng)事人的親屬就會接到通知。)
At the funeral all next of kin were in attendance.
(所有的親屬都參加了葬禮。)
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