时间:2018-12-01 作者:英语课 分类:美国习惯用语


英语课

to hold water


water off a duck's back


it makes my mouth water


这一课里我们再要讲两个和水,也就是和 water 这个字有关的词汇。第一个是 to hold water。


To hold water 按字面解释当然可以说是"不让水漏出来"。但是,它的另外一个意思是指某一个人找的借口、提出的理由、或说的话是确实的,站得住脚的。美国人经常说:"That excuse simply doesn't hold water."意思是:那个借口根本站不住脚。我们来举个例子:


例句-1:"The accused man claimed that he'd been in another city the night of the murder. But his story didn't hold water after three different witnesses testified 1 in court that they had seen him running from the scene of the crime."


这句话的意思是:"这个被控告的人说,发生谋杀案的那天晚上他出门去了,不在当地。但是,有三个不同的证人都出庭作证说,他们看见他从作案的地点逃跑。因此,他说出事那天他不在当地的说法根本是靠不住的。"


今天要讲的另外一个和water这个字有关的习惯用语是 water off a duck's back。


鸭子身上的毛就像雨衣一样,水在上面呆不住,一下全滑掉了。因此,water off a duck's back 是指毫无作用。就像下面这句句子所说的:


例句-2:"I keep telling my friend it's foolish to gamble 2 all of his money, but it's like water off of a duck's back."


这是说:"我一直告诉我的朋友,不要那么傻,把所有的工资都用在赌博上。可是,我的话对他全然不起作用。"


另外一个例子是:


例句-3:"The doctors tell us it`s dangerous to smoke, but such good advice rolls off of some people like water off of a duck's back."


这是说:"医生都告诉我们抽烟对身体是有害的。可是,这种劝告对于有些人来说就像耳边风一样,毫无作用。"


水对人的身体来说是非常重要的。可是,在英语里,这些和water有关的成语都含贬意好像有点奇怪。不过,至少有一个和water有关的习惯用语是让人高兴的。那就是:to make my mouth water 顾名思义,这个说法的意思是"让我流口水"。


例句-4:"The roast duck that restaurant serves is my favorite dish. Every time I think about it, it makes my mouth water."


这个人说:"我最喜欢吃那个饭馆的烤鸭。每当我想起它我就会流口水。"


今天我们讲了to hold water,water off a duck's back和 it makes my mouth water这几个同water有关的习惯用语。


好,「美国习惯用语」第五讲就到里。欢迎下次再一起来学习美国习惯用语。再见。



1 testified
作证,证明( testify的过去式和过去分词 ); 证明,证实; 炳炳凿凿
  • His look testified his guilt. 他的神态表明他有罪。
  • Her red face testified to her guilt. 她脸红证明她内心有愧。
2 gamble
n.冒险;v.赌博,孤注一掷
  • Setting up this business was a bit of a gamble.开办这样的公司有点冒险。
  • Drive carefully and don't gamble with your life.小心驾驶,别拿你的生命冒险。
学英语单词
absolute position readout
acetate disc
Amour, Djebel
amyelencephalic monster
anorectal canal
antifoaming agent
apokatastasis
as many again
backtrapping of bubble-cap tray
bovine malignant catarrhal fever
bran bread
built-up fixture
capillary hemorrhage
cash in transit policy
cavorts
chlorophenol red
chlorthenoxazin
coccosteus
collector-base
cosmic-ray proton
crownair
cyberdefamation
dalli
deep split
defecations
Derangement Syndromes
desmopterus papilio
Diamond Harb.
differences in protein composition
effective delay of signal
entry keyboard
extension work
Faeroese
feiles
Fera I.
fontography
function key
glandular epithelial tumor
global cooling
gonomacula
gray water
grazing-land
grid variation
herniotome
Horodok
information cap
intermediate fastening
International Committee for the Organization of Traffic at Sea
interposed sectors
Iris potaninii
John Witherspoon
kakatoe leadbeateris
kinetophonograph
Kovrovskiy Rayon
loosely bound
male flange
mall hammer
maximum input voltage
metabasins
mixed sea and land risks
notates
odorant sensitive neuron
Oxytropis pusilla
paleoclimatic reconstruction
pepeater compass
phrase structure rule
pipunculid
plain song
pls
PMS representation
pnagus subvertens
power of agitator
presenilins
progovernment
pulse duration discrimination
pyruvic acid-enol-phosphate
red dog flour
scoop and run
self dowelling
Senexon
seven-miles
sholder nipple
short-wave receiving antenna
solar flocculi
spall hammer
split switch
spread velocity
stiborn
superior ecliptic limit
TEM wave
the United States Virgin Islands
toxic erythema neonatorum
unprofessional conduct
unstately
user range error
vertical split head
vilateite
warm sth up
water-power project
whge.