令美国人糊涂的英式短语
“chalk and cheese”等同于美国人说的“apples and oranges”,形容两个事物或人是完全不同的或完全无法兼容的,通常的句式为“like / as different as chalk and cheese”,例如:we'll never get on—we're like chalk and cheese。
2. D
“Bob’s your uncle”据说源于 Arthur Balfour,他曾被自己的首相叔叔 Robert Cecil(昵称为Bob)任命在多个颇有声望的职位上,现用于表示很轻松就能完成某项任务。例如,Put together a couple of kitchen fitments, buy a coffee machine and Bob's your uncle.
3. A
“Donkey’s”通常是”donkey’s years”的简写方式,最初可能写作 donkey’s ears,指代某物长度上很长,现指很长一段时间。例如,we've been close friends for donkey's years.
4. A
令人难以置信,“Something for the weekend”指避孕套,人们通常认为这是售卖避孕套的理发师向顾客推销时的委婉词语,例如”something for the weekend, sir?”
5. D
“His sharp practice cost him a term at Her Majesty's pleasure”,如果有人 at Her Majesty’s pleasure,那他就是关押在英国监狱里。形成这一词组是因为君主最初拥有自由裁决是否关押某人的权利。
6. C
Swings and roundabouts 在英式英语中意为“不同的行动或选择最终都造成毫无收益或毫无损失的情况,或所得和所失相抵消”,是不是有点殊途同归或是失之东隅,收之桑榆的意思呢?更为完整的短语是”to gain on the swings and lose on the roundabouts”。例如,I don't want to have to, but it's swings and roundabouts.
7. D
Horses for courses 是英国谚语,意为“不同的人适合不同的事物”,其出处是短语” Different race horses would perform better on different racecourses / 不同的赛马在不同的赛道上各有更好表现”,真是各有所长或是各有所爱的含义吧。例如:So I'm not interested in politics, it's horses for courses.
8. C
短语 get / have / give someone the hump 的出处并不清楚,可能是与骆驼相关,其含义为“变得或令人恼怒、无缘故发脾气”,例如”fans get the hump when they lose”或”Debate has been raging about road safety, with people across London getting the hump.”
9. C
在英国,曾经需要花费一个 penny 使用一次投币式公共厕所,这就是短语 spend a penny 替代“小便”的委婉说法,例如”you can't get to sleep when you want to spend a penny”。
10. C
例句中的 pull 和 attractions 之间看起来有很明显的关联。短语 on the pull 在英式非正式语境中指企图吸引某人上床,例如”an eligible bachelor on the pull”或”I remember now why I'm not interested in going on the pull.”
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