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美国人的口头禅(下)
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美国人的口头禅(下)/怀中
9. It is a shame!
这是一句可以用在许多适当情况的口语 (Catch-all phrase),是表示一种轻度的「遗憾」或「同情」(a form of sympathy or regret) 但没有「羞耻」的意思。例如:
It is a shame that your car got stuck in the snow.(你的汽车陷在雪里,真糟糕。)
When I said, "I lost ten dollars from my pocket.",he replied, "It is a shame!"(当我说:「我从口袋里掉了十块钱」,他回答:「真遗憾?」)
至於 "What a shame",其实与 "it is a shame" 意思相似,也有 "It is too bad" 的味道。例如:
What a shame that his son's behavior is so rude.(他儿子的粗鲁行为是令人遗憾的)
10. May it ever be thus!
意思是:希望保持现在的情况,不会改变。(I hope it will not change; may the situation always remain the same.),通常用在喜庆时,也有祝你与现在一样的健康快乐之意。(I hope you are always as healthy and happy as now.) 例如:
We are wonderful friends; may it ever be thus!(我们是好友,愿永远如此!)
He said to the newly weds, "May it ever be thus!"(他对新婚夫妇说:「愿你们永远这样的恩爱、幸福」)
11. Am I being petty?
意思是:「我是气量小吗?」或「我是心胸狭窄吗?」(narrow-minded) 这是一个人做了或说了某件事情後,唯恐别人批评或指责而自加「反省」的表态。(或表示谦虚)
这里用 verb to be 的现在进行式,表示气量小或心胸窄是「暂时性」的。而 Am I petty? 又是指「经常性」的。(但是谁又愿意承认自己是经常的气量小,心胸窄呢!所以为了「自尊心」,通常不说"I am petty",只说"I am being petty." 同理:
Am I being over-reactive?(或 over sensitive?)(我是反应过火或过份敏感吗?)
Are you being in bad mood?(你情绪不好吗?)都是强调「暂时性」。否则就不必使用现在进行式 (being) (来源:专业英语学习网站 http://www.EnglishCN.com)
(主词可用任何人称代名词 you, we, he, she, they 等,动词可用任何时态。)
12. Stay tuned!
这多半是指播音员在收音机或电视上所说的。意思是:「稍等一下,下面还有」(Stay where you are in the same channel),但也可以表示对一件事情的继续讨论 (to keep continuing the same issue)。(tuned是形容词,原意是调好电台或电视)例如:
Stay tuned, there will be more on this subject tomorrow.(稍等,这个问题明天再谈。)
Stay tuned 的等候时间,可长可短,要看情况而定。
然而 "wait a moment" 通常是指 immediately,时间较短。例如:
Stay tuned(或 wait a moment)I will be right back.(指马上回来)
但是:
We have to stay tuned regarding the name change of our school.(我们必须等待校名的变更)(等待时间较长)
13. You can say that again!
这句话的意思是「我同意你」(I agree with you.)或「你对了」(You are right.)例如:
When the professor spoke on human rights, the students responded, "You can say that again!"(当教授谈到人权时;学生回答说:「你说得对!」)
虽然这句话的主词通常只用第二人称单数 You,但在某些情况下,也可以用其他人称。例如:
When we heard Mr. Clinton's speech on tax reduction, my wife turned to me and said, "He can say that again!"(当我们听到柯林顿先生减税的讲演时,内人转头对我说:「他说得对!」)
14. Let me sleep on it.
意思是「让我考虑一下」或「让我想想看」(let me think about it.)(这与 sleep 没有关系)例如:
Let me sleep on your proposal.(让我考虑你的建议。)
When he asked if she wanted to stay with him, she said, "Let me sleep on it."(当他问她要不要留下来,她说:「要想想看」。)
在 "let me sleep on it." 中,me 可用其他人称代名词(him, her, you, us, them 等),it 有时也用 this 或 that 代替。
15. Take heart!
意思是「勇敢些」、「不必苦恼」、「振作起来」(be brave; don't worry; don't let things get you down)(多半指感情方面,比较 emotional)例如:
Take heart, and the situation will be better.(不必怕,情况会好些。)
Take heart, I am sure you will be successful in the future.(振作起来吧,我相信你将来会成功的。)
16. Tune him out!
意思是「别听他的」,「不必理会他」(don't listen to him; don't pay attention to him.)例如:
Mr. Lee just talked nonsense; tune him out.(李先生在瞎扯,别听他的。)
I am going to tune her out when she begins to speak on the subject.(当她谈及主题时,我不想理会她。)
The husband tuned out his wife when he was watching the football game.(老公看足球赛时没有理会太座。)
(tune out 有时也可连在一起使用)(在 "tune him out" 这句口语里,动词 tune 可用任何时态;受词 him 也可用其他人称代名词。)
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