BEC高級口試指導(dǎo):最新美語流行語手冊(七)

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31.bang for the buck 貨真價(jià)實(shí)
    buck在美國俚語中是“美元”的意思。有這樣一個(gè)短語,bigger bang for a buck,它的意思是“花錢取得更大效果”。Bang原是表示巨大聲響的擬聲詞,這里引申為“效果”。
    A: Listen! It’s mid-summer now. What do we need them for? 嘿,現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)是仲夏了,我們要這些東西干什么?
    B: They may come in handy. Besides, these items can be true bang for the buck. 會有用得著它們的時(shí)候,再說這些東西是貨真價(jià)實(shí)的呀。
    A: True bang for the buck? They’re enough for ten years’ use. 貨真價(jià)實(shí)?都夠用10年的了。
    B: Stop getting on my nerves! I’m not doing something for nothing! 別煩我了,我可不是沒事找事。
    32.be brassed off doing 厭煩干… ,對 … 滿腹牢騷
    brass作名詞指“黃銅”,作動詞指“鍍黃銅于 … ”,而brassed off是俚語,意思是“厭煩,不滿,牢騷滿腹”。
    A: I am awfully sorry that I have kept you waiting. 真是很抱歉讓您久等了。
    B: To tell you the truth, I am really brassed off waiting. 說實(shí)話,我最討厭等人。
    A: Sorry. I had something urgent to deal with just when I was to leave. 對不起,我正要來的時(shí)候又有急事要處理。
    B: You should have told me earlier. 你應(yīng)該早點(diǎn)告訴我。
    A: It was too late to inform you. 通知你已經(jīng)來不及了。
    33.be catty 愛搬弄是非的;愛誹謗人的
    英語中,cat給人的聯(lián)想總是不太愉快,如cattish的意思是“狡猾的、惡意的、偷偷摸摸的”。cat在英語中可用來指“惡意傷人的女人,包藏禍心的女人”,因此catty就有了誹謗的含義。
    A: I thought you would cooperate. 我原以為你會跟我合作呢。
    B: Well, I’m too busy to be catty and poke my nose into things that do not matter much to me. 我可不愿意搬弄是非去管那些跟我沒關(guān)系的閑事。
    A: How do you know that he won’t do something against yourself? 你怎么知道他不會做出什么對你不利的事呢?
    B: You do seem to have a glib tongue. 你真能胡攪蠻纏。
    34.be down in the dumps 垂頭喪氣,神情沮喪
    the dumps在非正規(guī)的口語表達(dá)方式中的意思是“憂郁”或“沮喪”。be down in the dumps常指“悶悶不樂”或“打不起精神”,也可引申為“垂頭喪氣,精神沮喪”。
    A: You’re down in the dumps. What’s happened? 你看上去沮喪不堪。出什么事了?
    B: I had a quarrel with our boss’s secretary. She’s been on her high horse these days. 我和老板的秘書吵了一架。這幾天她總是盛氣凌人。
    A: Maybe she was only taking it out on you. Secretaries have a lot of pressure, too. 也許她僅僅是向你發(fā)泄。秘書的壓力也很大。
    B: But she jumped down my throat for no reason at all. I could not put up with her. 但她無理由地斥責(zé)我,我無法容忍。
    35.be in a jam 陷入困境
    jam指“擁擠,阻塞”。該習(xí)語的字母意思為“在擁擠之中”,引申為“陷入困難的處境”。例如:She is in a bit of jam about money. (她的手頭有點(diǎn)拮據(jù)。)
    A: Mike told me that his business was in a jam and he was in urgent need of money. He wanted to borrow some money from me. 邁克告訴我他的生意陷入困境,急需用錢。他想向我借錢。
    B: Don’t lend money to him. He’s always lying. 別借錢給他。他總是說慌。
    A: But I think he is really in difficulty this time. 但這一次我看他是真的遇上困難了