时间:2019-01-07 作者:英语课 分类:美国习惯用语


英语课

  我们今天要说的三个习惯用语都用来描绘人的忠诚可靠,不偏不倚和品行端正。第一个是: straight arrow。 Straight是直的,而arrow是箭,straight arrow从字面上看是笔直的箭,straight arrow,宁折不弯,当然它作为习惯用语有它的比喻意义。

Straight arrow早年曾经专指白人信赖的刚直的印第安勇士,现在straight arrow被用来泛指任何值得信赖,道德高尚的人。

我们听个例子,说话的人跟朋友谈起了国会选举。他正告诉朋友自己这回打算选谁当议员:

例句-1:I've decided 1 to vote for Mary instead of that old guy who has been in Washington so long. Mary tells the truth and she keeps her promises - she's a straight arrow all right.

他说:我已经决定投票推选Mary,不再选已经在华盛顿呆了这么久的那个老家伙了。Mary忠诚老实,而且说到做到。她真是个正直坦率的人。

这里的straight arrow指正直坦率的人。

******

有时候straight arrow也可以说那种一板一眼,过于死板的人。这种人虽然正派可靠,但是也不怎么讨人喜欢。比方说Bob就是这样一个小伙子。

例句-2:Bob is a real straight arrow: he doesn't smoke, drink or chase 2 girls. I guess I should admire him. But I have to tell you one thing: he sure isn't much fun at a party.

他说:Bob真是个古板的人。他烟酒不沾,又不追女朋友。我想我该赞赏他的为人,但是我得告诉你一件事: 要是让他参加个聚会可真叫人腻味。

这里的straight arrow指过于古板而不合群的人。

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再学个有类似含义的习惯用语: straight shooter。 Shooter是射手,枪手,而straight在这儿的意思是“正直的。” Straight shooter这个习惯用语把我们带回美国西部的拓荒生活,人不离枪的西部英雄除暴安良,最讲究信义。开发西部的年代早已成为过去,但是这些腰上佩着手枪专打抱不平的好汉: straight shooters, 却留在人们的记忆里,于是人们用straight shooters指那些刚直公正,仗义助人的人。

我们听个例子,有人问他喜不喜欢他工作的银行里新来的那位主管。我们听听他怎么说。

例句-3:Well, he makes sure we do our work right, but I think he's a straight shooter. He tells us the truth, he's very fair and he's always ready to help if someone has a problem.

他说:当然,他对我们的工作钉得很紧。 但是我觉得他是个仗义的人,他口无虚言,极其公正,而且不论谁有问题他都大力相助。

这里的straight shooter指正直仗义的人。

******

再学个意义相近的习惯用语: true blue。 True blue原意是纯蓝色,或者说是不褪色的蓝色。这个习惯用语来自五百来年前英国的一个城镇。那里用特殊的蓝色染料印染的布无论经过多少次洗涤都不会褪色,于是人们就借用true blue来指久经考验而忠诚不渝的正人君子了。

好,我们听个例子。这是一位公司总裁在答复他的人事部主任的请示。人事部主任想要解雇老员工 Ed,因为他年迈退化而工作不力。

例句-4:Look, when we met rough times and our other workers were deserting us, Ed was true blue. He stayed loyal 3 and worked hard for us. I say he can stay here as long as he wants.

他说:瞧,在我们的困难时期当别的职工都纷纷离弃我们的时候,Ed却对我们忠心耿耿。他坚守岗位为我们兢兢业业地工作。我认为只要他愿意他可以一直留在公司里。

这段话里的true blue用来说忠心耿耿,始终如一的人。



adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
vt.追逐,追赶,追求;n.追赶
  • The police grabbed the robbers after a long chase.警察经过长距离追赶后逮住了抢劫犯。
  • Would you chase me if I did?如果我逃开了,你会来追吗?
adj.忠诚的,忠心的
  • He is a loyal friend.他是一位忠诚的朋友。
  • I judge him to be loyal.我认为他很忠诚。
学英语单词
absolute cell reference
adapter skirt
Advanced Energy Projects
air traveller
ala dag
Alcyonium
antidrought
aortic obstruction
arc welding engine generator
audioboard
automatic traction equipment
back end-to
basin of attraction
benzimidazoyl
berthages
bohnckes
capacitance coupled
Carex stipata
Caughnawaga
cavity boundary
collied
combustion conditions
commissura posrerior grisea
consolidated statement of cost goods sold
cowherd
crank shaft timing gear
desorption column
dissuader
distributed group decision support system
dry basis moisture content
dry-silver print
dummy out
earthy
Epleys
equicharacteristic
european blackbirds
Expectations Theory
favourous
flight control computer (fcc)
full word integer overflow
fungisterol ergosterol
gear teeth vernier
genus cuterebras
Gomorraha
hardface
Heave aback!
Hoagland solution
hold something in derision
hovercam
injection-valve opening pressure
interbifid grooves
junior school
knife edge test
laocon
level checking
Logovoy
machine mixing
macroslope
menispermaceous
microaneurisms
microvacuolar
millikan method
mixed-up observations
more-detailed
national revolution
nonalinement
notchers
on a razor-edge
ouatite
parabolic cylinder function
Paraguayans
persuadedness
pinotages
planetary radiation budget
pollaplonyx opacipennis
polyvinylidene fluoride
pontious
Primula florindae
programmed temperature works
quality of labor
scotopic eye
sdat
self-dramatizings
sodium ruthenate
soliloquizer
stacking height
Streptothrix
sulcus terminalis
tagging
there's one born every minute
traffic link
Tragacete
ubiquinol
Ugli
undemonstratively
unguerdoned
unit service factor
vignetting diaphragm
whole body radiation
with a heavy tread
work from home
zircon concentrate