TWO "HEADS" ARE BETTER THAN ONE
我國諺語有句“三個臭皮匠，勝過諸葛亮”；英文的諺語有相似的，但卻少了一個人，說“Two heads are better than one”。此地的heads不是頭，而是指「頭腦」或「智力」。今天我們來談一談有關"heads"的相關詞句用法。
"Head"一字，翻開英文辭典則有許多解釋，如American Heritage Dictionary就有27條?？墒且话阏f"head"是指
[人、獸、物的]頭，頭部；〔用做數(shù)詞的〕頭
頭腦，智力
[機關的]主管，首長，首腦等意
我們用「頭」作各種各樣的動作。表示同意或贊成時「點點頭」，英文用"nod (one's head)"(因為"nod"本身就有「點頭」之意，因而通常省略one's head)；聽人家講話或被上司指責時「頻頻點頭」表示同意，贊成或順從的動作稱為“nob one's head”。相反地，表示不同意，不贊成或不愿意時的「搖頭」是"shake one's head"。別人夸獎你，或問你難題而難于作答，或受責備而覺得難為情時你就會「搔頭抓腮」"scratch one's head"。
The student scratched his head before answering the question.
(那個學生回答問題前搔搔頭。)
在聽別人講話時，覺得對方所說內(nèi)容有疑問或作深思時，把頭偏向一邊，稱為 "tilt one's head" 或 "cock one's head "；把頭向前后左右轉(zhuǎn)動的動作為"rotate one's head "或"roll one's head"左右擺動就說"move one's head from side to side "；低下頭為"bend one's head"但是像打架時或拳擊選手迅速低下以閃避對方的打擊則用"duck one's head"。
The boxer ducked his head in the first round so as to avoid being hit by his opponent .
(拳擊選手在第一回合中急速低頭閃避以免挨對手擊中。)
英文里與"head"連用的詞句和中文的說法相似者相當不少。我們常說「某某人很有頭腦」，「某某人很有數(shù)學頭腦」等等。英文就有"a good head"。
John has a good head for mathematics.
(約翰很有數(shù)學頭腦。)
The speaker had a good head for figures, so he convinced the audience of what he said in his lecture.
(那位演講人對數(shù)字很有把握，因而使聽眾對他的演講非常信服。)
如果有一個人在肩膀之上有一顆聰明的腦袋，他或她一定非常有才氣，而且能干；所以"a good head on one's shoulders "就指一個人很有才干，又有常識或判斷力。
Lawrence has a good head on his shoulders and has been promoted to an executive position recently.
(羅連斯非常能干，近被提升到主管的職位。)
John has a good head on his shoulders; he never drives too fast in Taipei.
(約翰很有判斷力，他在臺北從不開快車。)
對于年輕有為而處事穩(wěn)重的人中文常用「老成持重」來形容，英文稱之為"an old head on young shoulders "。
William has(或is) an old head on young shoulders and handles his business very well.
(威廉老成持重，把生意處理得很好。)
如果把上面所說的"good"和"old"換成其他的字，意思也就不同了：如"He has a long head"，不是說他有很長的頭而是「他有遠見」；"He has a hard head" 是指「他有注重實際事務的頭腦」或「他很頑固」之意。至于"He has a cool head"是意謂「他有冷靜的頭腦」?？墒?He has a swollen(或swelled)head"并不是說「他的頭腫大」而是說「他非常自負」：
When Robert won the contest, he got a swollen head.
(當勞勃贏得比賽時，他志得意滿。)
Pretty girls shouldn't get a swollen head about it.
(漂亮的小姐不應該因漂亮而自傲。)
"swelled head"的形容詞為"swell-headed"（自負的）：
After he was promoted head of bureau, William became swell-headed.
(威廉被提升為局長時，顯得非常自負。)
當您告訴別人「多用腦筋」時，可以用"use your head ":
James, use your head and work harder!
(詹姆斯，多用腦筋并且工作勤快些吧！)
If you used your head a little bit, you wouldn't be in trouble like this.
(如果稍微用一點腦筋，你就不會惹上這種麻煩了。)
「從頭到腳」也就是「全身」，英文有"from head to heel "或"from head to foot,"也可以用"head to foot"，其詞意是和中文的意思相同：
The lady is dressed in white from head to foot and looks like a bride.
(那位婦人全身穿著白色衣服，看起來像個新娘子。)
中文「碰壁」，英文也有"bang one's head against a brick wall," "beat one's head against a brick wall,"也就是「徒勞無功」的意思：
Trying to make him change his mind is just beating your head against a wall.
(想要改變他的心意，你一定會碰壁。)
為了集思廣益，召集許多人商議、計劃等為"put (their) heads together, 或lay(their)heads together "：
The members of the Welfare Association laid their heads together and decided to have a picnic on Teacher's Day.
(福利委員會委員們商量結(jié)果決定教師節(jié)那一天要舉辦郊游。)
The Government personnel officials put their heads together and finally decided to extend the Moon Festival holiday to the following Monday.
(政府的人事官員們商議后終于決定中秋節(jié)次日補假一天。)
有時候想到某些事情或有了什么想法，有相似的"enter one's head"或"get into one's head"：
It never entered my head that he would became a famous writer.
(我從沒有想到他會成為的作家。)
He got it into his head that he had cancer.
(他以為患了癌癥。)
當一個人做了見不得人的事而感到羞恥或慚愧以致抬不起頭來，或感到垂頭喪氣，英文有"hide one's head"或"hang one's head"的說法：
The thieves hid their heads when they appeared on TV.
(那一幫小偷出現(xiàn)在電視上時垂頭掩面。)
The boy hung his head when his father asked him if he broke the window.
(他父親問他有沒有打破玻璃窗時，那男孩低下了頭。)
還有一句中、英文詞義相同的詞句－"above one's head"或"over one's head"，意思是「越級報告」或「越級請求」。
He went over his immediate supervisor's head to complain to the general manager.
(他不經(jīng)過直接上司而越級向總經(jīng)理申訴。)
The board chairman said that it was done over his head.
(董事長說那件事是未與他商量而做的。)
"over(或above)one's head "另外還有「無法了解」，「超越某人了解范圍之外」之意，如：
The English lesson today was so difficult that it went over my head.
(今天的英文課太難，我無法了解。)
The TOEFL test last time was quite over my head.
(上次的托福考試我簡直無法應付。)
The lecture given by a well-known scholar yesterday was above the heads of the high-school students.
(昨天的一位有名的學者的演講，對于高中學生簡直聽不懂。)
結(jié)束本文以前，想再介紹一對詞句，那就是"keep one's head"和"lose one's head"。“keep one' head ”的詞意是「保持冷靜」而"lose one's head "則是完全相反的「失去理智」之意。
When Mary heard the fire alarm, she kept her head and looked for the nearest emergency exit.
(當瑪麗聽到失火的警鈴時，她保持冷靜而尋找近的太平門。)
When the fire broke out in the movie theater, the people lost their heads and ran in all directions.
(電*起火的時候，大家失去理智而向四方奔逃。)
英國作家Rudyard Kipling(1865-1936)有一首詩，詩名為“If ”。這首詩的第一句就用這一對詞句：
If you can keep your head
when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
如果你周圍的人們
失去了理智而責怪你時，
你能夠保持冷靜.....。