迷你對話：一鳴驚人
A: Tom set the whole country by the ears with his discovery.
約翰的發(fā)明震驚了全國。
B: He is really terrific!
他真行。
A: He was very clever when he was a boy.
他小的時候就非常聰明。
對話精講
第一、 習(xí)慣用語
set by ears
第二、 解詞釋義
此語源于一個斗狗的故事。有兩個好事之徒以狗打架賭博，就分別揪住狗的耳朵讓它們相斗。轉(zhuǎn)義為“使人爭吵，使人不和”，還可以表示“因新發(fā)現(xiàn)而引起轟動或使人震驚”之意。
第三、 支持范例
釋義1： 使人爭吵，使人不和
e.g.During his short stay, Philip set us all by the ears .
菲利普在這時短期逗留期間，搬弄是非，搞得大家不得安寧。
e.g.They got on well enough together until the question of promotion set them all by the ears .
他們原來一直相處得很好，后來提職一事引起了他們之間的不和。
e.g.Uncle always seems to set the family by the ears .
叔叔好像總是使一家人不和。
e.g.She set the whole neighborhood by the ears .
她使四鄰不和。
釋義2： 使人震驚，一鳴驚人
e.g.He seemed a very lively young man, certain of his own abilities and eager to set people by the ears .
看來他是個非?；钴S的青年，對自己的能力十分自信，且急于一鳴驚人。
e.g.He set the whole city the ears with beating the champion.
他擊敗了冠軍而一鳴驚人。