to be cool as a cucumber

字號(hào):

to be cool as a cucumber  
    美國(guó)人喜歡吃沙拉,而黃瓜是沙拉不可缺少的成份。中國(guó)人到了夏天都喜歡吃拌黃瓜,實(shí)際上也是沙拉的一種類型。黃瓜給人一種清爽涼快的感覺(jué)。美國(guó)的俗語(yǔ)里有這么一個(gè)說(shuō)法:to be cool as a cucumber.
    Cucumber就是黃瓜。To be cool as a cucumber從字面上來(lái)解釋就是:像黃瓜一樣涼爽。但是,要從俗語(yǔ)的角度來(lái)解釋,它的意思就不同了。To be cool as a cucumber就是當(dāng)一個(gè)人碰到困難和麻煩時(shí)很冷靜、很放松。這是美國(guó)人經(jīng)常用的一個(gè)習(xí)慣用語(yǔ)。我們來(lái)舉個(gè)例子吧! 這是一個(gè)兒子在說(shuō)他的爸爸:
    Last week Dad was in this auto accident and the other driver was so mad he was yelling and screaming. But Dad stayed cool as a cucumber and got the other guy cooled off too, once he saw there wasn't any real damage to either car.
    這個(gè)兒子說(shuō):“上星期,我爸爸出了車禍。對(duì)方那個(gè)開(kāi)車的人非常冒火,他大聲嚷嚷,大聲喊叫。但是,我爸爸卻非常冷靜,而且在那個(gè)人看到雙方的汽車都沒(méi)有受到很嚴(yán)重?fù)p傷后還設(shè)法使他冷靜了下來(lái)?!?BR>    不管出什么樣的車禍都是很不幸的。出嚴(yán)重的車禍涉及到人命,有的人為此成為終身殘廢。即便出小車禍,擔(dān)負(fù)責(zé)任的一方要承擔(dān)經(jīng)濟(jì)損失,同時(shí)也使對(duì)方感到驚嚇,帶來(lái)修車、看病等許多麻煩。
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    我們?cè)俳o大家舉一個(gè)關(guān)于to be cool as a cucumber的例子。這是一個(gè)人在說(shuō)他和他的朋友去飯店吃飯的時(shí)候發(fā)生的事:
    While Mike and I were waiting for our food, this clumsy waiter spilled a bowl of piping hot soup on Mike's back. I was furious, but Mike was as cool as a cucumber. He even told the waiter not to worry about it.
    這個(gè)人說(shuō):“我和麥克正在等我們的飯菜,那個(gè)笨手笨腳的服務(wù)員不小心把一碗滾燙的湯倒在麥克的背上。我真是生氣極了,可是麥克卻非常冷靜。他甚至還叫那個(gè)服務(wù)員不要擔(dān)心?!?BR>    ponder
    vi.(仔細(xì))考慮; 深思, 默想(on, over, upon)
    ponder upon the problem