33 有個人說:A 82 year-old man married a 28 year-old woman. That is the most bizarre thing that has ever happened recently. (一個82歲的老頭娶了28歲的姑娘,這是近來最為離奇的事。)另一個人蠻有同情心,他可能會說:Well, age shouldn’t be something that comes in the way of a person’s marriage. As long as they love each other, age is not an issue.(嗯,年齡在婚姻中應(yīng)該不是障礙,重要的是他們愛著對方,年齡不是問題。)bizarre是一個美國人喜歡用的詞,意思是“稀奇古怪,不正常的”;That is a bizarre story.(這個故事太荒唐。) The nine-head-bird is really bizarre.(九頭鳥是不可能有的事。)這是一句中國俗話,上、下聯(lián)是什么呢? comes in the way of 的意思是“成為絆腳石”。
34 有個朋友要我每到一地就給她寫幾個字,這英語的表達(dá)法可以用“drop me a line”: Don’t forget to drop me a line when you visit a new place. 我則可以回答:“Trust me. I won’t. I’ll keep you posted.”(沒問題,我不會忘記的,我會隨時讓你知道我的近況。)post當(dāng)動詞用,則是“郵寄,轉(zhuǎn)遞”,keep someone posted意思是keep in touch with someone, or touch base with someone often。只是很可惜,現(xiàn)在的中國郵局大部分都不辦理郵政業(yè)務(wù),而是成為銀行了,所以信也沒法寄。Drop by的意思是,順便訪問(沒有計劃的那種訪問。)Please drop by sometime for a drink. - I dropped by my best friend’s house to see if he was home. 不要朋友寫信,就叫朋友打電話好了:Give me a buzz. or Give me a ring. 都可以。
35 上一篇中提到了一個詞soul mate,是那種心靈感應(yīng)的朋友,也可以用heart,例如說,sweat heart,但這指戀人或關(guān)系特別密切的人。a heart to heart chat很誠懇的溝通。I tried to have a heart to heart chat with him on this issue, but it didn’t work. 我費了一番力氣想與他坦誠溝通,但沒有什么用。
36 他喝醉了。英文有好些說法,很口語化的是:He is loaded. 就是drunk的意思。“When I talked to the president, he was loaded.” Kissinger said about Nixon. 基辛格談到尼克松時說:“我跟總統(tǒng)談話時,他已經(jīng)喝得爛醉?!眜nder the influence of alcohol也是喝醉了的意思,但這是個法律詞匯,意思是犯法了,尤其是在開車時,如果查出了司機是under the influence of alcohol則可能要坐牢。而drunk, loaded雖是醉酒,但不違法。很書面語的詞匯是“intoxicated, intoxication”。寫到這里,我想起了昆明巫家壩機場的一副廣告:令人陶醉的地方--云南(大意),旁邊的英語是:Intoxication: Yunnan. 這是典型的中式英語,外國人看了不知所云,聽上去好像是云南人都是酒鬼一樣。正確的英文應(yīng)該是:The most attractive place: Yunnan;也可以說:Breathtaking scenery:Yunnan.
37 He is a little bit punchy. 如果一個人晚上睡眠不足,早晨起來睡眼惺忪的樣子,我們可以說他punchy.所以可以接著說:He needs a cup of coffee to wake up. 一個人看上去云里霧里的樣子都是punchy,與喝醉酒貌差不多。
38 與load還有一個相關(guān)的口語詞:freeloading, 揩油,濫用別人的慷慨。My roommate won’t pay anything for the grocery. I end up feeding him three meals. I am really fed up with his freeloading.(他這樣揩我的油我實在是受不了。)揩油的人就叫“freeloader”,就是那種喜歡免費的午餐的人(those who enjoy free lunch)。
39 市場上有很多關(guān)于學(xué)英語訣竅的書,但實際上,學(xué)英語就是一個背單詞、與遺忘作斗爭的過程。記憶力好的人總是少數(shù)。I cannot think of these English words off hand. One of the effective ways is to brush up on grammar rules a little bit everyday. There is simply no short cut. Off hand,我無法一下子就能想起這些英文單詞。 Brush up on 常常復(fù)習(xí),short cut,捷徑。學(xué)英語是每天學(xué)一點,堅持不懈,集腋成裘:“Precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, idea by idea,”(一次學(xué)個概念,這里學(xué)一點,那里學(xué)一點,一次接觸一個思想)。或者我們可以說 A little at a time, we can eat up an elephant eventually.(一次吃一口,我們最終可以把頭大象給吞了。) It is a big job, but we can get it done. 這個工作巨大,但我們可以把它做好。所以不要相信那些100天就可以把英語學(xué)好的廣告。如果有學(xué)生或一位網(wǎng)友100天可以學(xué)好英語的話,那我不就要失業(yè)了?
40 堵塞??吹健岸氯倍?,人們一般會想起“jam”,如果是交通堵塞,用jam是沒錯的。但是如果是下水道給堵塞了,要用clog。It is too bad, my sink is clogged up again.“堵塞”還有一個英文詞“clot”: The street was clotted with traffic. 街上交通阻塞。血栓堵塞:blood clot?!岸氯闭降拿~是Congestion, 如果吃東西給咽了,則是choking (food clogging in the throat.)
41 Hang 是個常用的單詞,幾本意思是“掛,吊”??谡Z中加上in 或者on后,其意思是堅持。Hang in there, OK? 再在那里堅持一會。Everybody hanging on. 每個人都再堅持一下。Stay on. 也是“再堅持一會”
All relationships go through rough times. You just have to hang in there. 每種關(guān)系都會經(jīng)歷難關(guān),所以你堅持下去就好了。
Just hang on in there. The physical training is tough but it’s worth it. 你一定要堅持下去,體育訓(xùn)練難度較大,但這代價是值得付的。
Hang around 的意思是閑逛。你進(jìn)商店,老板會問:What can I do for you? 你則可以回答:I am just hanging around.我只是隨便看看。
Most husbands hate hanging around with their wives in the mall. It’s so boring! 大部分的先生都不喜歡跟老婆去逛商場,太無聊了。
I don’t like to hang around here after dark. 天黑后我不喜歡在這里逛了。
He had stupidly hung around — just to see what the cops were doing — and ended up being arrested!他在這里看熱鬧實在是笨,他就是想看看警察在干什么,結(jié)果把自己給弄抓起來了。
Hang out with 是約會的意思。He is hanging out now with Jane.
42. 如果有人無所事事,你就可以說:Get a job. 去做點正事吧。
43.No need to panic. Don’t panic不要慌張。
44.You made your point. 我明白你的觀點(意見)了?;蛘撸篒 heard you.
45.You are nasty. 你真是可惡。nasty weather; a nasty trick nasty是個常用詞,表示厭惡。
46.Stay cool, man. 老兄,多多保重。相當(dāng)于Take care.
47.That is a wishful thinking. 想得美。也可以說是day dream白日夢。You are day dreaming. “He lives in a dream that has nothing to do with reality”
48.Let us keep it that way. 還是原樣吧。就這么辦吧。
49.Can you drop it? 能不能不談這事了?
50.What is in it for me (you)?兩個人談合作,你看了半天,都是對方得益,于是你就可以說這句話了:我的好處在哪里?也可以說:Where is my cut?