美国习惯用语: Lesson 218 - Get Caught With One's Hand in the
时间：2019-01-09 作者：英语课 分类：美国习惯用语
当一个人正在做坏事的时候被人家发现，这个人就会感到很难堪。今天我们要给大家介绍的两个习惯用语都是形容这种局面的。我们先来讲第一个：To get caught with one's hand in the cookie jar. Cookie就是饼乾，甜点心。Cookie jar就是放这些饼乾点心的罐子。To be caught with one's hand in the cookie jar从字面上来解释，它的意思就是：当一个人的手正在点心罐子里的时候被人发现了。
以前许多美国妇女总是为孩子们做一些点心放在罐子里。但是，为了不让孩子吃的太多，妈妈往往把罐子藏在柜子顶上。这样孩子就不容易拿到。可是，有的孩子会爬到椅子上，去罐子里偷点心。要是妈妈突然走进厨房，那就被当场发现。这就是to be caught with one's hand in the cookie jar。现在，这个俗语已经用得非常普遍，只要是一个人在做不该做的事的时候被人当场抓到都可以用这个习惯用语来形容。我们来举一个例子。这是一个人在说某个邮局的雇员。
例句1: It's too bad what happened to her, but it's her own fault. One day they caught her with her hand in the cookie jar; she was stealing stamps for personal use and she was fired on the spot.
这个人说：这件事对她来说是太不幸了，但是这也是她自己不好。有一天，正当她在偷邮票给她自己用的时候被人当场抓着。她立即就被解雇了。
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美国的电脑非常普遍。许多家庭也都有个人用的电脑。在办公室里，每个人都有自己的暗号，用了暗号才能打开自己的电脑。下面这个例子是一个人说他的同事偷看他的电脑。
例句2: Tom was caught with his hand in the cookie jar when he was sitting at my computer desk reading my files last night. He admitted he stole my code a month ago and tried to find out what I wrote in the outline for the new project.
这人说：昨天晚上，汤姆坐在我的电脑桌子前偷看我电脑里的材料的时候被我当场抓到。他承认，他一个月前偷了我的暗号，想知道我为那个新的工程写的大纲里有些什么内容。
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下面我们要讲的习惯用语所描写的情况要比小偷小摸被人发现更严重。这从字面上就可以显示出来。这个习惯用语就是：To be caught with one's pants down. Pants就是人们穿的裤子。因此，按字面来解释，to be caught with one's pants down就是一个人在裤子掉下来的情况下被人发现。作为俗语，它的意思就是当一个人正在做坏事，做可耻的事的时候被人发现了。下面这个例子是一个电台新闻记者报导有关一个市政府官员在做坏事的时候被人发现。这位记者说：
例句3: The road commissioner 1 was arrested today for taking a bribe 2 from the contractor 3 he hired to build the new highway. He was caught with his pants down, on video tape showing him accepting the money.
他说：那个负责公路的专员今天被逮捕，因为他接受一名营造商的贿赂。那是他雇用来建造那条新公路的营造商。他在接受钱的时候被人录像录了下来，当场抓住。
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英国电影男明星休.格兰特最近发生的一件事最能说明to be caught with one's pants down这个俗语的意思。这是一个人在谈论这件事。
例句4: Actor Hugh Grant was caught with his pants down when he was having sex with a prostitute in the back of his car. He was arrested by Los Angeles police and the media made a fuss of it.
这人说：当英国电影演员休.格兰特跟一个妓女在他的汽车后座发生性关系的时候当场被人抓住。洛山矶的警察逮捕了他，新闻界大肆宣扬。
- The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
- He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。
- He tried to bribe the policeman not to arrest him.他企图贿赂警察不逮捕他。
- He resolutely refused their bribe.他坚决不接受他们的贿赂。
- The Tokyo contractor was asked to kick $ 6000 back as commission.那个东京的承包商被要求退还6000美元作为佣金。
- The style of house the contractor builds depends partly on the lay of the land.承包商所建房屋的式样，有几分要看地势而定。