从今天起我们要讲由account这个词发展而来的习惯用语。Account有好多不同的意思,而且既可以作名词也可以当动词。我们要学的第一个习惯用语是: bring somebody to account。Account作名词的时候可以解释说明,bring sb. to account意思就是"要求某人说明",或者"唯某人是问",带有要某人负责,或者怪罪批评某人的意思。
有时候我们可以用call这个词来代替bring somebody to account中的bring,成为call somebody to account,意义不变。我们来听个例子,说的是美国情报机构内一件间谍丑闻。
例句-1:Why can't they bring the responsible officers to account for the spy case? Something must be terribly wrong if they let one of their own people spy on them for eight years!
这里bring the responsible officers to account意思就是追究负责官员的罪责。我们再听一个例子。它说的是海外发生的一起恶性事故夺取了许多无辜生命。
例句-2:The opposition parties asked that the new mayor be called to account for the falling of a bridge. They say he paid no attention to a report warning that the bridge might not be safe.
他说:反对党认为新市长要为那起桥梁倒塌事故担当罪责。他们说他无视一份说桥梁可能不安全的报告。
这里the new mayor be called to account意思是新市长得担当罪责。
我们接著学第二个习惯用语: square an account with someone。Square在这里是动词。意思是结清。Square an account with someone意思显然是和某人算清帐目。换句话说是把该偿付的钱付清。这个习惯用语常用作比喻意义。我们来听个例子。他说的是和有线电视公司了结一宗纠纷的事。
例句-3:I'm trying to square my account with the cable TV company. I believe they billed a wrong monthly charge. Instead of $16.75, they want me to pay $33.75 a month for six months.
例句-4:It's unbelievable how easy it is to square an account with a credit card company in America once you present a receipt. It certainly wouldn't be like that back home!
他说:在美国你只要拿出收据,你和信用卡公司结一笔账方便得令人难以置信。在我们国家里可绝不那样简单。
这里square an account with a credit card company意思就是和信用卡公司结清一笔账。这很可能是发生在用信用卡购物,随后又退还的情况中。