Write home是給家里寫信、或者說寫家信。Write home about就是:給家里寫信的時(shí)候談到某件事。不過nothing to write home about不只局限于給家里寫信。它指的是:任何不值得大書特書的事情。
換句話說,這種事情不值得向朋友推薦,也沒有必要在人前炫耀。據(jù)一些專家和學(xué)者考證,這種用法最早可能是一百年前從出國作戰(zhàn)的軍人和遠(yuǎn)航的水手那里流傳出來的。當(dāng)時(shí)的郵政系統(tǒng)相當(dāng)不發(fā)達(dá),需要很長時(shí)間才能把信送到,所以才有“家書抵萬金”的說法。正因?yàn)槿绱?,人們寫信才有所選擇,只談家鄉(xiāng)親人關(guān)心的重要事情。
我們來看看這個(gè)習(xí)慣用語在日常生活中的實(shí)際用法。說話的人昨天晚上在朋友的勸說下剛剛看了一部電影。他對(duì)這部電影的感想如何呢?
The story was hard to believe, and the acting wasn't very good either. It was awfully slow. It didn't quite put me to sleep but this movie was sure nothing to write home about.
故事情節(jié)令人難以置信,演員的演技也相當(dāng)平庸,劇情發(fā)展慢的要命。這部電影雖然沒有把我催入夢(mèng)鄉(xiāng),但是實(shí)在乏善可陳。
The only job Pete could find was selling magazine subscriptions by phone. But it's nothing to write home about -- long hours, low pay and most people are pretty rude when he calls them.
彼得能找到的工作就是打電話推銷雜志的訂閱。不過這個(gè)工作的工作時(shí)間長,工資低,而且大多數(shù)接電話的人都很不禮貌,實(shí)在無足掛齒。
換句話說,這種事情不值得向朋友推薦,也沒有必要在人前炫耀。據(jù)一些專家和學(xué)者考證,這種用法最早可能是一百年前從出國作戰(zhàn)的軍人和遠(yuǎn)航的水手那里流傳出來的。當(dāng)時(shí)的郵政系統(tǒng)相當(dāng)不發(fā)達(dá),需要很長時(shí)間才能把信送到,所以才有“家書抵萬金”的說法。正因?yàn)槿绱?,人們寫信才有所選擇,只談家鄉(xiāng)親人關(guān)心的重要事情。
我們來看看這個(gè)習(xí)慣用語在日常生活中的實(shí)際用法。說話的人昨天晚上在朋友的勸說下剛剛看了一部電影。他對(duì)這部電影的感想如何呢?
The story was hard to believe, and the acting wasn't very good either. It was awfully slow. It didn't quite put me to sleep but this movie was sure nothing to write home about.
故事情節(jié)令人難以置信,演員的演技也相當(dāng)平庸,劇情發(fā)展慢的要命。這部電影雖然沒有把我催入夢(mèng)鄉(xiāng),但是實(shí)在乏善可陳。
The only job Pete could find was selling magazine subscriptions by phone. But it's nothing to write home about -- long hours, low pay and most people are pretty rude when he calls them.
彼得能找到的工作就是打電話推銷雜志的訂閱。不過這個(gè)工作的工作時(shí)間長,工資低,而且大多數(shù)接電話的人都很不禮貌,實(shí)在無足掛齒。

