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Look what you have done! 这一课要教大家一句责备人家的话:Look what you have done!(看你做过些什么!)这是较温和责怪人家的说话,称不上是骂人的话,相近的句子还有:Look what you did ! / This is your fault.(这是你的错)/ This is your doing.(这是你做的好事)。想加强一点语气,不妨加多句:You stupid idiot! Look what you have done!(你这个笨蛋白痴,看你做过些什么!) 对话 Mother:I just cleaned the apartment an hour ago. Look what you have done! Daughter:Relax! It doesn't look that bad. I've lost something important. Mother:I'll help you look. What have you lost? Daughter:I've lost my glasses. I can't see them anywhere. Mother:You just need eyes in the back of your head. Daughter:Thank you! 母亲:我刚在一小时前才清洁完房间。看你做过什么! 女儿:放心吧!不是你看得那么糟,我遗失了很重要的东西。 母亲:我来帮你找,你遗失了什么? 女儿:我遗失了眼镜,到处都找不到。 母亲:看来你的后脑需要长对眼睛了。 女儿:谢谢! Look what you have done!是常用语,意思是‘看你干的好事!’或‘看你把事情弄成什么样子!’有不满含义。Look和see都可译作‘看’,这个look可不可以用see取代?答案是‘不可以’。See和look用法颇有不同:see是‘见到’,但未必是故意去看的,例如:I was surprised to see a stranger in my house.(我看见我的房子里有个陌生人,吃了一惊)。Look则是指有意去看,例如:She looked at herself in the mirror.(她临镜自照)。 用祈使句(imperative)叫人看某些东西,只可说look,不可说see。所谓祈使句,即Please come here.(请过来)、Go away.(你走开)之类不用主词 (subject) 的句子。有时,你会见到See this? (= Do you see this) 的说法,但那不是祈使句,而是问句。See what you have done? 即‘你见到自己做了什么吗?’和Look what you have done! 不同。 此外,look字如有受词(object),必须用介系词at 带出;see则可以直接和受词连用,例如:(1) I saw a boy.(我见到一个男孩)。(2) I looked at the boy.(我望着那男孩)。读者也许会问:然则Look what you have done. 一语,为什么不用at带出作受词的名词子句(noun clause) What you have done?原来how、what 和其它who疑问词带出的子句,用在look字之后,at往往会略去,但我们绝对可以说:Look at what you have done! Some words: idiot n. 白痴,傻瓜 今天讲的是非常有意思的一句话,不知道大家以前有没有听说过: Raining cats and dogs. 形容倾盆大雨,英文有句有趣的话:Raining cats and dogs.(直译是下猫下狗)。不同的雨势英语有不同的形容词,例如下大雨可说:It's bucketing down. Bucket解‘桶’,意思就好像一桶桶水掉下来,或者说:It's pouring. 如果下毛毛雨英文叫drizzling,下骤雨叫shower,一点点微雨叫spitting。 对话 A:Are you ready to go? We should leave soon. B:Let me just change. Hold on. A:What on earth are you wearing? You look ridiculous. B:The observatory said it would be raining cats and dogs this afternoon. I don't want to get wet. A:The observatory said that about New York, not here. Look outside, it's a beautiful day. 甲:你准备好走了吗? 我们该离开了。 乙:让我换一换衣服,请等一下。 甲:你干嘛穿得怪怪的? 你的样子好滑稽。 乙:气象局说下午会下大雨,我不想弄湿。 甲:气象局是说纽约会下大雨,不是这里。你看看外面,天气多好啊。 下大雨,英文叫to rain cats and dogs。猫狗和风雨有什么关系呢?这有几个解释。 有人说,古时地方排水系统欠佳,大雨时往往水淹街道,猫狗溺死的不少。水退后,猫狗尸体狼藉,似乎是从天上随雨而下的,所以说to rain cats and dogs。 也有人说,猫在北欧神话之中能影响天气,而掌管暴风雨的大神欧丁(Odin) 则以狗为伴,所以猫狗会带来风雨。还有人说,希腊文catadupa即‘瀑布’,cats and dogs三字实由此而来云云。无论如何,to rain cats and dogs是成语,必须先猫后狗,有些人初学英文,对成语不熟习,只记得有狗有猫,于是写to rain dogs and cats,那就错了。 说大雨倾盆,英文还有其它常用语。Torrents原意是‘激流’,常用来比喻大雨:The rain is coming down in torrents.(大雨如注)、What a torrential downpour !(多么大雨 !)。Downpour本身也是指大雨,The fields are flooded by the downpour.即‘大雨淹没了田野’。Pour是‘倒水’,所以It is pouring. 也有‘倾盆大雨’的意思。英文甚至有‘倾桶 (bucket) 大雨’:The rain is coming down in buckets. 或It is bucketing down. 此外当然还可以用heavy, hard等字形容大雨:It is raining heavily / hard.(下着大雨)、The heavy rain forced me to turn back.(大雨使我不得不折回)。 Some words: bucket n. 桶 drizzle n.&v. (下)细雨 shower n.&v.骤雨 spit v.微雨;吐口水 torrent n. 急流 downpour n.倾盆大雨 |
第六课:今天讲的是一个很常用的一句话。 I feel sick. "I feel sick."(我觉得不舒服),可能是大朋友和小朋友喜欢用来逃避上班或上学的借口。"I feel sick." 不一定是指真的生病。不论心理或身体上有不舒服的感觉,也可以用的。另外一个说法是 "I don't feel well."(我觉得不太舒服)。 "Sick" 这个字很简单,通常跟生病有关系,但用在不同地方就有不同意思,例如:"I'm sick of my job."(我非常讨厌自己的工作),"I'm sick and tired of junk mail."(我厌倦那些垃圾电子邮件),又或者朋友对你做了些令你呕心、厌烦、生气的事情,你可对他说 "You make me sick."(你令我感到厌烦)。另一个特殊说法 "I'm going to be sick."意思不是“我将会生病”,而是当你晕车时想要呕吐的意思。 A:Your face is turning green. Are you ok? B:I feel sick. My stomach hurts. A:Do you need to take a rest? B:Yes, thanks. Let me sit for a while and I'll be fine then. A:Is there anything I can do for you? B:Yes, please. Could you get me some water? 甲:你的脸色发青呢!你没事吗? 乙:我不舒服,我的胃子很痛。 甲:你需要休息一下吗? 乙:嗯,谢谢。让我稍坐一会,我就会好一点。 甲:我有什么可以帮到你? 乙:有,谢谢。你可以拿点水给我吗? 我在前面的文章里说过:to be sick有‘作呕’的意思。呕吐往往是因为晕船、晕车、晕机等,英文叫做seasick、carsick、airsick,例如:The airsick passenger vomited up all he had just eaten for lunch.(那晕机的乘客把刚刚吃的午餐都吐出来)。 说自己想呕吐,英文除了I am/feel sick (to my stomach)或I feel like vomiting等说法,还可说I feel like throwing up和I feel nauseous。Throw up两字合用,可解作‘呕吐’,是通俗的说法;nauseous则是‘作呕的’,动词是nauseate。Nauseating即‘使人作呕’,例如:I found the very sight of her nauseating.(我看见她就作呕)。 英文说‘呕吐’,还有to barf、to lose one's cookies(失去其小甜饼)等俚俗说法。I think I'm going to barf/lose my cookies即‘我恐怕要呕吐了’。 晕车、晕船等,除了呕吐,当然会有晕眩感觉,这感觉叫dizziness,形容词是dizzy,例如:Could you stop the car, please? I feel dizzy.(请停下车来好吗?我感到晕眩)。Faint作形容词用,也可解作‘晕眩’,例如:Feeling a little faint, she sat down.(她感到有点晕眩,坐了下来)。但不要用动词faint来说‘感到晕眩’: I fainted是‘我失去知觉晕倒了’。 见到别人作呕,可以问:Can I get you a glass of water?(给你一杯水好不好?)或Would you like to sit down / lie down? (坐下来╱躺下来好不好)或Do you want to see a doctor?(要找医生吗?) Some words: vomit n.&v. 呕吐 nausea n.——nauseate v.——nauseous adj. barf v. 呕吐 dizziness n.——dizzy adj. faint n.&v. 昏晕 Don't let me down. (这首歌也很好听哦)呵呵 I'm counting on you. 和I'm depending on you.(我全靠你),都是在有求于人时非常用得着的恭维话,今天再教一句:Don't let me down.(不要让我失望),别人听到你这么说可能会更加为你尽力去办。Let down是‘令人失望’,例如朋友问你How was the movie?(那出电影如何呢?),如果说:It was a big let down. 就是说‘它太令人失望’的意思。 对话 A: How's tomorrow's business presentation going? B: Our preparation work is almost done. We'll have a rehearsal tonight after dinner. A: Well, I'll look forward to hearing some good results. Don't let me down. B: I'll try my best to clinch the deal. 甲:明天的业务发表会怎样? 乙:筹备工作已差不多完成,我们在今晚晚饭后会进行彩排。 甲:好的,我期待听到好消息,不要令我失望。 乙:我会尽力去取得合同。 为了宣传公司的产品、服务,公司职员往往要去其它机构或公开场所示范、讲解等, 这英文叫做presentation,例如:The fund house made a presentation of the new investment funds they were launching.(基金公司举行讲座,介绍新创办的投资基金)。 现在,某乙要为公司争取合同,示范、讲解当然要准备周详。他老板说:Don't let me down.(别使我失望)。Let down 除了解作‘辜负(某人)期望’,还可解作‘使丢脸’或‘破坏(声誉)’,例如:Your misconduct has let down the name of the bank.(你违反职业操守,破坏了银行的声誉)。 Let someone down的反义词是live up to someone's expectations.(不负某人所望)。 某乙的老板其实可以说:I'm sure you'll live up to my expectations.(我相信你会不负我所望)。这有鼓励的意思,比忧心忡忡的一句Don't let me down. 似乎好一点。Don't let me down. 会加重某乙精神上的压力,对他示范、讲解的表现未必有好处。 所以,你是某乙的同事,发觉他赴会前精神紧张,就应该设法消除他的焦虑,例如你可以说:You don't need to worry. I'm sure everything will go well as you're well prepared. You'll make a big hit.(你不必担心。你准备得那么好,相信一切都会很顺利。你会赢得观众赞赏)。Make a hit. 是‘博得好评’、‘大获成功’的意思。 Some words: count on依靠,指望 exceptation n. 期待,预料 |
What a shame ! 很多人会把What a shame! 和Shame on you. 混为一谈,其实两者是不同意思的。What a shame! 解作‘真惋惜’,Shame on you. 是解作‘你真丢脸 / 可耻’的意思。通常听到一些坏消息或不幸的事情,我们会说:What a shame! 表示慨叹,可以用What a pity! 代替,或者可以说:It's bad news. (这是坏消息)。譬如有对新婚夫妇在结婚前一天,新郎突然跑掉了,你听到这个不幸的消息可以向新娘说:What a shame! 向新郎却要说:Shame on you.(你真羞耻)或You should feel ashamed of yourself.(你应感到羞愧)。 对话 A: Gary just won a free cruise at the company dinner but he can't go because of his heavy workload. B: What a shame! If anyone deserves to go on a cruise, Gary does. A: Actually I think he's quite happy about it. B: Really? I can't see why. Everyone loves a luxury vacation. A: Well Gary's pleased because he gets terribly seasick. 甲:加里刚在公司晚宴上赢了一张免费邮轮船票,但他因为太忙不能去。 乙:真可惜! 如果其它人值得去,加里更加该去。 甲:其实我想他会为此而感到高兴的。 乙:真的吗? 我不明白。每人都爱享受一个豪华假期。 甲:加里会蛮开心是因为他会晕船啊。 What a shame! 这句话谈过了。这里只谈加里这个人:他怕晕船,赢得免费邮轮船票都无福消受。 怕晕船(seasickness),其实可以服晕船药,那英文叫做seasickness pills/tablets。If you are liable/prone to seasickness, don't forget your seasickness pills. 即‘假如你容易晕船,可不要忘了带晕船药’。 有些人不但不会晕船,甚至在颠簸得厉害的船上也如履平地,这叫做to have(或find / get)one's sea legs,直译是‘有了(找到了)一双海腿’,例如:After several days at sea, he has found his sea legs.(他在海上过了几天,已经习惯了风浪,行走如履平地)。溜冰者也套用了这成语,把‘能在冰上滑行’叫做to find one's ice legs。 熟练的水手,不但有一双海腿,还熟悉缆索的操作,这叫做to know the ropes。现在,这成语常用来说:‘熟悉做事的程序或规则’,例如:Let him do it. He knows the ropes.(由他做吧,他懂得处理的办法)。 英国人传统上是个航海的民族 (a seafaring nation),对容易晕船、害怕航海的人颇为轻视,称为landlubbers。 Lubber一字借自丹麦,意思是‘笨拙的人’。Landlubber最初只指未熟练的水手,现在,凡容易晕船的都叫landlubber,例如:The sea was pretty rough that night, and the landlubber was sick.(那天晚上波涛汹涌,那旱鸭子呕吐起来)。 Some words: ropen. 绳索 landlubber n. 旱鸭子 第九课 I'm getting cold feet. 许多人在结婚前都患上婚前恐惧症候群,可能由于要处理太多繁琐的事,而导致焦虑不安,想临阵退缩。当你要搬家、换新工作、出外旅游前也可能有同样的焦虑感觉,令你感到犹豫,此时你可说:I'm getting cold feet.,这里不是指‘我得了发冷脚’,而是指‘我感到疑虑’。或者可用I'm worried. (我很担心) / I'm anxious.(我很焦忧不安)。 对 话 Laura: I'm getting cold feet about this wedding. Rita: Why ? Russell is a wonderful guy and he loves you. Laura: But I'm just not sure. I may love someone else. Rita: Well too late now, you're going on your honeymoon in 5 minutes. 罗拉: 我对这段婚姻感到有点疑虑。 莉达: 为什么? 拉塞尔是个好男人,他很爱你。 罗拉: 但我不太肯定。我可能爱上别人。 莉达: 噢,现在太迟了,你五分钟后便要去蜜月旅行。 罗拉结婚前夕,说I'm getting cold feet.,这直译是‘我感觉双脚发冷’,意思则是‘我感到疑虑’。脚冷和‘临时感到疑虑’有什么关系,没有人能够断言。有学者说那是指‘双脚踏进寒冷的水里,会本能的退出’,例如:After the newspaper's exaggerated account of our financial difficulties, the bank is getting cold feet about lending us the money.(那份报纸发表了我们财务困难的夸张报道后,银行对借钱给我们一事有了疑虑)。 罗拉对婚姻有疑虑,但要退也太迟了。正如她的朋友指出:You're going on your honeymoon in five minutes.(你五分钟之后便去度蜜月了)。Honeymoon一词是怎么来的呢?据说,古时日耳曼人有个传统信仰:婚宴后一个月内,新婚夫妇每天喝些蜜糖,可保持爱情甜美。喝蜜糖 (honey) 以一个月 (moon) 为期,所以叫honeymoon。去度蜜月,英文是to go on / leave for / have a honeymoon;在度蜜月,是on honeymoon,例如:Laura did not actually fall in love with her husband till they were on honeymoon.(罗拉到了和丈夫度蜜月期间,才真正爱上丈夫)。度蜜月的夫妇,叫a honey couple;度蜜月者,叫honeymooner。 此外,honeymoon往往引申解作关系建立之初的和谐时期,例如:The honeymoon between the people and the new government is over.(人民和新政府的蜜月期已告结束)。 |
第十课:(虎父无犬子) Like father like son. 我们有句俗语‘有其父必有其子’,英文也有相同的说法:Like father like son. 要说‘有其母必有其女’,便改成Like mother like daughter. 妈妈责备爸爸或儿子时常常搬这句话出来,其实还有其它的说法:It's in his genes.(有他的基因)It runs in the family.(世代相传,整个家族都是如此)。 对 话 Gordon:So, how is young Tommy these days? Bill:Well, he loves his sport. Gordon:Like father like son, huh? What's he in to? Rugby? Basketball? Swimming? Bill:All of them. Since we got the wide-screen TV, he watches the sports channel all day long. 戈登:小汤姆最近怎样? 比尔:嗯,他酷爱运动。 戈登:有其父必有其子,嗯?他喜欢什么?榄球?篮球?游泳? 比尔:全部。自从我们买了部宽屏幕电视机后,他终日都收看体育台。 Like father, like son. 是‘有怎样的父亲,就有怎样的儿子’,例如:His father is tall and handsome, and so is he. Like father, like son.(他和父亲一样高大英俊,真是有其父必有其子)。相貌或行为酷似父母的儿女,也可以说是a chip off the old block(陈旧大木块脱下的一片),例如:“He is as addicted to drinking as his father.” “Yes, he is a chip off the old block.”(‘他和他父亲一样嗜酒。’‘不错,他像足了父亲。’) 说相貌或行为像父母,英文还会用take after这个动词词组(phrasal verb),例如:She takes after her mother: they both have curly hair and big eyes.(她很像母亲:两人都是头发卷曲,眼睛大大)。切勿把take after和 look after / take care of(照顾)混淆。She takes after her mother. 和 She looks after her mother. 是完全不同的。 Like father, like son. 之外,英文还有Like mother, like daughter.(有怎样的母亲,就有怎样的女儿)、Like master, like man.(有怎样的主人,就有怎样的仆人)、Like teacher, like pupil.(有怎样的教师,就有怎样的学生)、Like prince, like people.(有怎样的国君,就有怎样的百姓)等成语。留意prince一字,除了解作‘王子’,还可解作‘君主’。英谚A prince is better preserved by love than by the sword. 就是一例:要保持王位,与其靠刀剑,不如靠百姓的爱戴)。 第十一课:(快过年了,大家心情都很好,过年回家亲爱的Mom问你学习的情况时,你该怎么说呢?) So far so good. 曾经闹出这样的笑话:有位电视台主持访问一位外国人,问他觉得香港如何,那位外国人回答:So far so good. 主持却翻译成“香港好远好捧”,其实So far so good. 这句词组跟距离是没有关系,意思是‘到目前为止一切都蛮好’。也可以说:I have no complaints so far.(我到现在为止没有任何抱怨)或Up to now everything is fine. (直到现在一切都安好)。 对话 A:Excuse me. I've seen you on campus haven't I? B:Yes, I've seen you around too. How are your exams going? A:So far so good. Although for my physics exam I cheated a little. So are you a senior? B:No, actually I'm the physics professor. A:Oh?Excuse me, I have to run. 甲:我是否曾经在校园见过你? 乙:是,我也曾见过你,你的考试怎样? 甲:至今一切还不错,虽然我在物理科考试中曾经作弊。你是四年级学生吗? 乙:不,其实我是物理系教授。 甲:噢,对不起,我要走了。 一位大学生见到某人似曾相识,搭讪说:I've seen you on campus, haven't I ?(我是在校园里见过你吧?)那campus一字的用法值得留意。 Campus是‘校园’。不少人学习英语,见university(大学)、school(学校)都和介系词 (preposition) at, in连用,例如to work at / in a university(在大学工作)等,于是也说at / in campus,殊不知campus须和on连用,例如:He lives on campus.(他在校园寄宿)。这是很多大学毕业生都不懂得的。 跟人搭讪,一般都是说似乎见过人家:You look familiar. Don't I know you from somewhere? / Haven't I seen you somewhere?(你很面善,我是在什么地方见过你吧?)回答可以是No, I don't think so.(不是,我们似乎没见过面)Yes, I think so.(是,我们似乎见过面)或I'm not sure.(我记不清楚)It's possible.(可能见过吧)。 那位大学生问对方:Are you a senior? 这senior是指‘四年级大学生’。大学三、二、一年级学生则依次叫junior, sophomore(口语中也可简称soph), freshman。在校园里碰到不相熟的同学,你可以问:What year are you in?(你是哪一年级的?) 谈到自己的考试表现,那大学生说:So far so good.(至今一切还不错)。So far即‘至今’,例如:So far this summer I have not been to the beach.(这个夏天我还没有去过沙滩)。 |
第十二课(过年外出旅游,吃可少不了,今天教你去餐馆) I'd like to see the menu, please. 出外旅游,吃是其中一个非常重要的娱乐节目。去了解一个国家的生活和文化,从吃开始是最好不过的一个途径。不过我们应该怎样点菜呢? 如果没有识途老马陪伴在侧,最好就是拿个菜单观摩一下,你可以向侍者要求说:"I'd like to see the menu, please." ‘我想看看菜单。’然而,在欧洲很多小餐厅、小酒馆里不一定有menu菜单给你的。通常它们会把菜单直接写在黑板上面,说今天有什么。这个叫"blackboard menu" ‘黑板菜单’。这时候你就不要强人所难,非看菜单不可!现在有种非常流行的吃法就叫做:"All you can eat" ‘吃到饱为止’非常划算,也就像一般俗称的自助餐 "Buffet"。 对话 A:What would you like to order, madam? B:I'd like to see the menu, please. A:Sorry we don't have a menu. All the dishes are written on the wall. B:Do you have an English menu? A:I'm afraid not. Let me suggest some dishes you will enjoy. 甲:小姐,你想点什么菜呢? 乙:请拿菜单给我看一看。 甲:对不起,我们没有菜单的。所有菜色都写在墙上。 乙:你们有英文菜单吗? 甲:我恐怕没有了。让我介绍一些菜肴给你,你定会喜欢的。 英文menu一字,是从法文借来的,原意为‘详细’,引伸为详列菜肴的单子。上餐馆,除非饭桌上已放着菜单,否则点菜前你可得唤侍者:May we have the menu, please?(请拿菜单给我们好吗?)有时,为了省却点菜的麻烦,可以要套餐 (set lunch / dinner),而套餐往往另有单子列出,所以,你有时要讲明:Please show me the set menu for lunch / dinner.(请把午饭 / 晚饭的套餐单给我看看。) 此外,有些餐馆每天都有特餐或特别菜肴,价钱大多会便宜一点。这些‘是日特餐’等英文叫today's special或the special of the day,通常也不载于菜单上,你可以问侍者:What's today's special? 或 What do you have on special today?(今天的特餐是什么?)假如听来不错,你可以说:I'll have the special, please.(请给我一个特餐吧。) 看菜单,未必知道那餐馆擅长弄什么菜。这也可以问侍者:What's your specialty?(你们有什么招牌菜?)Specialty是美式说法,英式是speciality。Specialty和today's special不同,切勿混淆。 有些餐厅没有印刷菜单,菜单就写在一块板上,这菜单板叫menu board。要说一家餐馆菜式丰富,英文是:That restaurant has / offers a very extensive menu. Menu常和介词on连用,例如:Is chicken salad on the menu?(菜单上有鸡肉色拉吗?) |
that's very thank of you.come on. |
I've got that sinking feeling today |
I have a hunch that I will win the lottery or I have won already..... |