迷你对话学英语口语 第976期:有意维护
第一, 迷你对话
A: Sue and Lily have both taken dancing lessons. They want to be famous dancers, I think.
Sue 和Lily都选择了舞蹈课,我想她们将来想当舞蹈家。
B: Yet Sue is not a patch on Lily because she’s not as diligent and clever as Lily.
Sue比不上Lily,因为她没有Lily那么刻苦和聪明。
A: I think you are holding a brief for Lily.
我觉得你在有意维护Lily。
第二, 地道表达
hold a brief for
1. 解词释义
Hold a brief是在“在诉讼中当某人的辩护律师为其辩护”,引申为“为某人或某事辩护”“为……大声疾呼”“主张……”。
2. 拓展范例
e.g. I hold no brief for severe punishment.
我不赞成严惩。
e.g. I hold no brief for people with extreme views.
我不支持持极端观点的人。
第三, 咬文嚼字
as… as:和……一样
e.g. This film is as interesting as that one.
这部电影和那部电影一样有趣。
e.g. Your pen writes as smoothly as mine.
你的钢笔书写起来和我的一样流畅。
be a patch on:不如……,比不上……
e.g. What they accomplished was not a patch on what they had planned.
他们的成就远不如预期。
e.g. Her latest novel isn't a patch on her others.
她这部新小说比以前所写的差得远。