英语俚语习语小对话第398期: "敝帚自珍"英语怎么说? (mp3和文本下载)

第398期:言过其实,敝帚自珍

英语情景对话：

A: He always likes to say something as if all his geese are swans.
他谈论问题时，总喜欢言过其词。

B: I know this characteristic of him. So I never think seriously of his words.
我知道他的这个特点。所以，对于他的话，我从来就没有认真对待过。

A: Yeah. This is clever way to be in contact with such a person.
和这种人交往真是个好办法。

B: It seems that you don’t like him.
你好像不大喜欢他。

A: You like to communicate with him?
你喜欢和这种人说话吗？

对话精讲

地道表达

【核心短语】
all one’s geese are swans

【解词释义】
鹅不论怎么喜欢家居，总是其貌不扬。天鹅尽管在水中，还是姿态优美，所以把鹅当做天鹅是言过其词。1621年，英国传教士，哲学家Robert Burton在他的《忧郁症分析》一书中最先使用这个成语。

【典型范例1】
The coach is extremely proud of his team: all his geese are swans.
那个教练对他的球队极为得意，认为他们一个个都是非常地了不起。

【典型范例2】
All his geese are swans.
他夸大自己的长处。

词海拾贝

as if：好像，仿佛

【典型范例1】
He sauntered by, looking as if he had all the time in the world.
他悠闲地走过，仿佛时间对他来说是无穷无尽的。

【典型范例2】
I can remember our wedding as if it were yesterday.
我们的婚礼我记忆犹新，就像昨天一样。

characteristic of somebody：某人的特点，某人的个性

【典型范例1】
It is characteristic of him to talk nonsense.
胡说八道是他的特征。

【典型范例2】
Quick decision is characteristic of him.
快速决定是他的特征。

think of：考虑

【典型范例1】
Ask yourself what the folks in Peoria will think of it.
想一想皮奥里亚的人会如何看待这件事。

【典型范例2】
I cannot think of you living alone any longer.
我认为你不会再一个人住多久了。

in contact with：与......联络，与......联系

【典型范例1】
They are in direct contact with the hijackers.
他们与劫机者直接联系。

【典型范例2】
She is still in close contact with Sarah.
她仍然同萨拉人联系密切。

communicate with：与......交流，与......交往

【典型范例1】
Since then, they lost their ability to communicate with an audience.
自那以后他们再也无法引起观众的共鸣。

【典型范例2】
I communicate with him regularly by letter.
我与他定期通信。