 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
美国人平时生活上所用的一些口头禅,其实字句都很简单,但是如果不加说明,往往还会让人一知半解或似懂非懂。下面所举的例子,即是常常听到的一些美语口头禅。
- x ]* [( I3 N. u9 z$ v) ?4 [& ?
* I9 a5 W8 x4 u9 E, m& D. r$ p1 F 1. I couldn't care less.
4 _" H T- q8 [; I& n) k |8 v: Q. S3 `, S5 ]* H
这句话的意思是“我不在乎”,“缺乏兴趣”(lack of interest),也就是:I don''t care at all. 或 I don''t give a hoot. 例如:
2 S& G1 \8 L, Y' D: _6 W, @3 I5 C
人家如果问: What do you think of the budget-cut?(你对预算削减有何看法?)
$ u. I2 h4 w& g' v6 U8 ?
6 x8 t1 y% D( j$ R/ I 你回答: I couldn't care less.(我毫不在乎) . W$ d/ m& A4 t& k8 n
/ n" P7 J9 U6 R1 D How do you like Mr. Lee's political point of view?(你喜欢李先生的政见吗?)
1 C+ n7 x( H2 X* J. B' Z! n6 ?( m! _! }9 j
I couldn't care less.(我才不在乎呢!) # w* P1 n! _/ X+ S; x8 ]
# n, _- _, e: V 但是有时说话者也有口是心非: 例如: / @* L" d" l& W0 q! L
( Q+ I# F3 ~: Q& g" `. L
I couldn't care less about the promotion or pay raise.(我不在乎升级或加薪) ; i+ Q) a8 R" Q3 [
% ?1 | M a5 v4 z- ^* h/ P6 r, R 而实际上他是根本在乎升级和加薪的,那么人家也许就会回答说: Yes, you do(care). 9 g3 a2 J* R! P* L, [
8 z1 r; w" H2 ~8 @# D: m
至于 I couldn't care more. 就是“我很在乎”(I care a lot.)或 I care deeply. 同理: 8 U8 s) u1 ^" g: |
/ g o' e4 h* X* l I couldn't agree more.=I totally agree.(我完全同意)
^7 ~; i$ C0 h2 I/ L' D: \; p
+ j* l' ], U3 u' Q0 L {+ E I couldn't please you more.=I did my best to please you.(我尽量使你高兴) 1 L; o. }' _5 J. h* e2 O% N+ c2 B. z
, R7 ~& y" D0 h I couldn't be more right.=I am totally right. % `) L7 E% O' T9 k7 @
! V5 P" ?2 k4 a& q, l! J; U
但是老外为了自尊,不愿强调自己的错误,所以很少人说:
7 f7 K0 w/ [/ D$ k2 ~7 G) f/ V# l
/ z' \3 y. l+ u$ j I couldn't be more wrong. 4 a% L1 W6 U% Y
9 @+ G. u( x1 ?- K( l( S/ ~ 注意:一般人都用否定句,但也有老外把肯定句与否定句互用。
& t4 o# P1 i+ Y& \/ M' _+ q2 w, W$ @! h/ S; w8 l
不过,严格来说,I could care less. = I care to some degree.(care 的程度可能减少)
& S( Q- [8 c0 `; t
4 B" N5 R4 p6 S5 ]0 y I could care more.=I care some.(care的程度也许增加)(主词可用任何人称代名词:he, she, you, we, they 等。但只用 could,不用 can。)
% }) r/ V+ K [( x
5 N2 r6 z/ @; k 2. No bones about it.
4 @' n7 s1 ?3 S; D: m- V }& T. n) N% K; k
意思是:真实的,诚恳的(truly, sincerely or exactly),也就是 to make no bones about it.(bone 要加 s, it 是指 something)例如:
/ [* Q6 N$ L0 Y. W- ]; ?" E8 M% f2 {) u/ |6 v& x5 A
His wife is beautiful;no bones about it.(他的太太真是很漂亮)
- @9 E: N3 ^1 d: R' h9 ^6 T0 J+ Z; o p
Mr. A made no bones about it when he talked about abortion issue.(当 A 先生谈到堕胎问题时,他是诚恳的。)
8 N. h, N9 R$ g/ y( D3 b: w9 K" E7 C9 c+ j6 _3 O1 G
When I spoke on the topic,he said, "No bones about it."(也就是他同意我的看法)
$ l$ e: s; a- k9 u$ L/ [
; ?* r( q* V8 H$ k& P% ~ No bones about it;the weather is very chilly today.(今天是真的太冷了) 5 [; _& @2 g( w4 D8 N" s5 z
/ Z; P- P6 m% U" G5 a
3. take it on me! 6 v( d8 L5 L6 }0 z, |" b$ f# ~; w
4 l& }! A4 U1 q6 F
意思是:“这是我的,请用吧!”“这是免费的”(help yourself to it; it is free),这多半是指吃的东西或一些不贵重的东西。例如:
. `0 Z% ^+ _- b( a, ?5 H1 e, @1 F/ ^! V
Here are some candies from England; take one on me. (这是来自英国的糖果,尝一个吧!) (one = candy)
I- D5 _2 o: {4 `4 m7 Y3 m1 n. }% j7 J- k$ U
The restaurant owner said to me, "Take the dessert on me." (餐馆老板对我说:“尝尝我的甜点吧!”) . d- v% T: Q/ s' V- X% a
- |* h! _4 B+ v2 U5 K
Please take these pencils on me.(取用一些我的铅笔吧!) (也许铅笔上刻有名字,做为宣传之用而免费。) ( l% X2 Z' A% w* n5 r
1 E2 o) o# q% ]
可见 take 后面的 it,是指 something,而 on 的后面通常不指别人,所以多半也只用在第一人称单数 me。 2 V' u7 W+ o7 h3 e
# w5 }) |* o4 h, a5 {; Q" ~ (假如夫妇在一起,也可以说:Take it on us.)
' M0 J3 N/ J5 `1 J4 P, f. S$ }3 f2 e+ U
4. I am from Missouri. $ g3 x9 |. `: H5 o4 v
5 a) S, X2 X- k
这句话有时后面要加一句:“I need to be shown.”或“You have got to show me.”,意思是 Missouri 州的人很固执 (stubborn),不太信任别人,一定要人家证明一下(prove it to me),所以密苏里州也被称为“The Show Me State”。 . [4 t2 _5 i) T" @8 E$ e
% x3 r+ Y" q' _, G2 i7 n- f% ^
据说这句话所以流行 (尤其在美国中西部) 是因为美国一些名人都住过密苏里州,包括 Harry Truman, Mark Twain, Walt Disney 等。后来老外不轻易相信别人时,就使用这句话。(也有半开玩笑性质) 例如:
4 I' c* q: r+ o. n5 Z+ D, V6 G6 J* G
He is not easily convinced because he is from Missouri. (他是来自密苏里州,所以不容易说服他。) / z! W+ F2 u( h, p& R
4 G9 l, [ k+ A. S
Don''t try to fool me; I am from Missouri.(You have got to show me.) (别愚弄我,我是来自密苏里州。) - b" M9 f |0 ?/ a* n$ m
! h/ Z1 V3 S' D% l* q* ] We are all from Missouri; we need to be shown.
: |4 `3 X% l& C: i4 t7 c
' [8 ~9 ^& Y% @3 j As Mr. Smith is a tough guy; he must be from Missouri. (Smith先生是位倔强的人,他一定是来自密苏里州。) |
|