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最新美语流行语手册(3)

分类: 趣味英语 

26.at one’s wits end 智穷计尽

wit的意思是“颖悟力,智力,理解力”。该习语的意思是“处在智力的末端”,意即“智穷计尽”了。例如:I’m at my wit’s end with this problem. 我对这个问题真是束手无策。

A: I am at my wits’ end. 我已经智穷计尽了
B: What’s the matter? 怎么啦?
A: If the bank won’t lend us the money, we’ll be stuck. 如果银行不肯给我们贷款,我们就寸步难行了。
B: Don’t worry. You can ask Mary for help. 别着急。你可以请玛丽帮帮忙。

27.at sixes and sevens 乱七八糟;意见不一

该习语一般认为源于掷色子,原为赌博行话。据说在中世纪时,色子面上的最高点数是7,如想求得13点,即一个色子6点,一个色子7点,这谈何容易,只有那些心烦意乱或处于思想混乱状态下的人才会下此赌注,一试赌赢。该习语最初表示“漫不经心地下赌注”,后来转而表示“心烦意乱”,最后又引申出“乱七八糟”、“意见不一”等意思。乔叟在爱情长诗《特罗勒斯和克丽西德》中使用过该习语。

A: You have loused up the whole business; it’s at sixes and sevens. 整个买卖让你弄得乱七八糟。
B: The dice is cast. It’s incurable. 一切都成了定局,没救了。
A: I feel so terrible. 糟透了。
B: Me too. We just went to a lot of trouble for nothing. 我也这么想,一切都白忙了。

28.back to square one 退回起点;从头再来

该习语源自掷色子游戏。当掷出某个特定的号码时要受罚,于是还要重新再掷。该习语即指“无所进展,退回起点”,进而“从头再来”。例如:I’m back to square one with the work.(我的工作又得从头做起。)

A: Have you finished designing that office building? 那座办公楼设计好了吗?
B: We are back to square one now. 我们正在重新设计。
A: Back to square one? What’s the matter? 重新设计? 怎么回事?
B: We’ve worked out the plan, but it’s been decided that we must use cheaper material. So we have to redesign it. 本来我们都已经设计好了,但现在决定使用便宜点的材料,所以只得从头再来。

29.back to the drawing board 从头开始,失败后另起炉灶

drawing board指“画板”。该习语直议为“(退)回到画板前”,引申为“从头开始。失败后另起炉灶”。

A: How is Jim recently? 吉姆近况如何?
B: Very well. Since he was back to the drawing board, he’s been very successful. 非常好。自从他失败以后另起炉灶,就一直很成功。
A: I know he will get back on his feet sooner or later. 我知道他迟早会东山再起的。

30.ballpark figure 近似数,大致正确的估计

ballpark一词本指“棒球场”,引申为“活动领域”,在此为形容词,表示“大致正确的,八九不离十的”。此类常用短语还有in the right ballpark“大致正确,差不多”。 Ballpark figure 指大致不错的近似数。

A: What price is this building? 这栋楼的成本是多少?
B: It’s $1,00,000, just a ballpark figure. 一百万美元,这只是个大概数。
A: So much? It must have been in excess of our budget. 这么多!肯定超出了预算了。
B: So. We go on or stop it now? 那现在是干下去还是停下来?
A: Of course build it. Let’s think of some ways to raise money. 当然要干下去,我们想法去筹些钱。


31.bang for the buck 货真价实

buck在美国俚语中是“美元”的意思。有这样一个短语,bigger bang for a buck,它的意思是“花钱取得更大效果”。Bang原是表示巨大声响的拟声词,这里引申为“效果”。

A: Listen! It’s mid-summer now. What do we need them for? 嘿,现在已经是仲夏了,我们要这些东西干什么?
B: They may come in handy. Besides, these items can be true bang for the buck. 会有用得着它们的时候,再说这些东西是货真价实的呀。
A: True bang for the buck? They’re enough for ten years’ use. 货真价实?都够用10年的了。
B: Stop getting on my nerves! I’m not doing something for nothing! 别烦我了,我可不是没事找事。

32.be brassed off doing 厌烦干… ,对 … 满腹牢骚

brass作名词指“黄铜”,作动词指“镀黄铜于 … ”,而brassed off是俚语,意思是“厌烦,不满,牢骚满腹”。

A: I am awfully sorry that I have kept you waiting. 真是很抱歉让您久等了。
B: To tell you the truth, I am really brassed off waiting. 说实话,我最讨厌等人。
A: Sorry. I had something urgent to deal with just when I was to leave. 对不起,我正要来的时候又有急事要处理。
B: You should have told me earlier. 你应该早点告诉我。
A: It was too late to inform you. 通知你已经来不及了。

33.be catty 爱搬弄是非的;爱诽谤人的

英语中,cat给人的联想总是不太愉快,如cattish的意思是“狡猾的、恶意的、偷偷摸摸的”。cat在英语中可用来指“恶意伤人的女人,包藏祸心的女人”,因此catty就有了诽谤的含义。

A: I thought you would cooperate. 我原以为你会跟我合作呢。
B: Well, I’m too busy to be catty and poke my nose into things that do not matter much to me. 我可不愿意搬弄是非去管那些跟我没关系的闲事。
A: How do you know that he won’t do something against yourself? 你怎么知道他不会做出什么对你不利的事呢?
B: You do seem to have a glib tongue. 你真能胡搅蛮缠。

34.be down in the dumps 垂头丧气,神情沮丧

the dumps在非正规的口语表达方式中的意思是“忧郁”或“沮丧”。be down in the dumps常指“闷闷不乐”或“打不起精神”,也可引申为“垂头丧气,精神沮丧”。

A: You’re down in the dumps. What’s happened? 你看上去沮丧不堪。出什么事了?
B: I had a quarrel with our boss’s secretary. She’s been on her high horse these days. 我和老板的秘书吵了一架。这几天她总是盛气凌人。
A: Maybe she was only taking it out on you. Secretaries have a lot of pressure, too. 也许她仅仅是向你发泄。秘书的压力也很大。
B: But she jumped down my throat for no reason at all. I could not put up with her. 但她无理由地斥责我,我无法容忍。

35.be in a jam 陷入困境

jam指“拥挤,阻塞”。该习语的字母意思为“在拥挤之中”,引申为“陷入困难的处境”。例如:She is in a bit of jam about money. (她的手头有点拮据。)

A: Mike told me that his business was in a jam and he was in urgent need of money. He wanted to borrow some money from me. 迈克告诉我他的生意陷入困境,急需用钱。他想向我借钱。
B: Don’t lend money to him. He’s always lying. 别借钱给他。他总是说慌。
A: But I think he is really in difficulty this time. 但这一次我看他是真的遇上困难了。

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