英语俚语选[2]

 

[本站整理 2008-08-15]

 

1、to spread one's wings 让人充分独立，发挥自己才能。（to go out on one's own ；to be independent）

 

When he was allowed to spread his wings, he went a little crazy.
当人家让他独立自主，自由自在时，他就有点疯狂了。
Many over-protective Chinese parents will not let their children spread their wings at the age of 18.
许多过分溺爱孩子的中国父母，在孩子18岁时不让他们独立自主。

 

2、don't hold one's breath 不要期待一件事很快发生；靠不住或不敢保证。（something will not happen anytime soon; don't count on it; no guarantee）

 

Concerning your promotion, I would not hold my breath if I were you.
如果我是你的话，对于升迁，不敢期待。（靠不住）
If you are waiting for her to get married, don't hold your breath.
假如你等她结婚，那是遥遥无期的事。（不敢保证）

 

用在肯定句时，又有“急迫等待”的意思。

 

All the employees are holding their breath about a pay raise.
所有员工都在渴望著加薪。（但希望仍然不大）
The government held its breath on three occasions about prices.
政府在三个场合里，焦虑地观察物价情况。

 

3、Finders keepers, losers weepers 这是一句流行的口语，照字义是：拾到东西的人，就把东西留下，遗失东西的人，可要哭了。说这句话的人，认为拾到东西，就能留下。（You may keep what you have found.）也就是：我拾到，你活该！因为你不小心啊！或者说：I am lucky because I found it. 这是一种自私的品德问题。

 

“Finders keepers, losers weepers ”can become an ethical question.
拾到失物是否应该归还失主，变成一个道德问题。
When he found a ten-dollar bill in the street, he told himself, “Finders keepers, losers weepers.”
当他在马路上拾到一张10美元钞票时，他对自己说：“拾到就留下吧”！

 

4、something is someone's middle name  某件事对某人是很重要的，或是某人的特性。（something is very important to someone; to be someone's basic characteristics） 英语里的middle name是指第一个名字与姓之间 的中名。例如：John Fitzgerald Kennedy，中名就是Fitzgerald，一般只写开头字母F，不论怎样，中名对一个人，也是很重要。

 

It seems to me that patience is his middle name.
我觉得忍耐是他的特性。
Good service is his company's middle name.
他的公司以服务良好著称。
During his high school years baseball was his middle name.
他在高中时，棒球对他很重要。（也就是He is good at baseball.）

 

5、to pat someone (oneself) on the back  在背上轻轻拍打，也就是对某人或自己表示鼓励、赞扬或庆贺。（to praise someone or oneself）

 

I have to pat myself on the back once in a while.
我有时也要鼓励自己一番。（once in a while=sometimes；但for a while 则是指for a period of time）
Whenever he does his work well, he likes to pat himself on the back.
他做好工作，就喜欢赞扬自己。
I patted Mr. Wang on the back yesterday after his graduation.
昨天王先生毕业后，我夸奖他一番。

 

但另一句口语：to scratch someone's back 的意思则是吹捧某人，为自己方便而给某人方便。 例如老外常说：

 

I will scratch your back if you will scratch mine.
假如你给我方便或好处，我也会给你方便或好处。

 

但有时也指真正的在背上抓痒，要看上下文的意思而定。例如：

 

When the boy had an itch, he asked his mother to scratch his back.

 

pat也可当名词用，例如：

 

Miss Su deserves a pat on the back for doing a super job.
苏小姐工作表现奇佳，值得庆贺。