美国习惯用语: Lesson 213 - SHORT AND SWEET / THE LONG AND SH
时间：2019-01-10 作者：英语课 分类：美国习惯用语
我们讲过两个以long,也就是长短的长这个字为主的习惯用语。在这次节目里，我们要给大家介绍两个以长短的短，也就是英文里的short这个字为主的习惯用语。第一个习惯用语是: Short and sweet的意思就是很简短，也很明确，一点废话都没有。大家都知道，sweet这个字的意思是：甜，甜酸苦辣的甜。但是，在 short and sweet这个俗语里，sweet这个字并没有听起来很甜的意思。它只是意味着能够很快地知道说话的人，或写文章的人到底要说什么。下面是一个父亲在说他儿子给父母写的一封信。他说：
例句-1: I got 1 a letter yesterday from my son at college 2. It was 3 certainly 4 short and sweet. All it said 5 was "Dear Dad/Mom, please send me a hundred dollars right away. Love, your son, Mike."
这位父亲说：我昨天收到我儿子从大学寄来的一封信。这封信可真是简短，全部内容就是：亲爱的爸爸，妈妈，请马上给我寄一百块美元。你们的儿子，麦克。
这样的信对大学生来说是很典型的。现在，有的年轻人恐怕还不写信呢。打电话不是更方便吗。
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我们再来举一个short and sweet的例子。这是一个丈夫在工作了一天后回到家里看到他太太给他留的一张简短的条子。他现在在对他的邻居讲话。
例句2: I was really tired after a hard day at the office. But the first thing I saw 6 after I got home was this short and sweet note from my wife 7. It said: I'm going 8 out to have some fun. Please pick 9 up the kids 10 and get them something to eat.
这位可怜的丈夫说：在办公室忙了一天，我真是很累。可是，一回家首先看到的就是我太太留给我的这张简短的条子。条子上说：我出去玩。请接孩子，给他们吃点东西。
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我们现在来给大家介绍第二个习惯用语。这个习惯用语把长和短这两个对立面都结合在一起。The long and short of it. 这个俗语的意思就是：你把有关某一件事的基本事实和情况都说的很明白了，已经没有必要再说什么了。举例来说吧。一个家庭里的几个孩子都想让爸爸买一辆新车。他们不断地去说服他们的爸爸，把他弄得烦死了。后来，他对孩子们说：
例句3: No, we are not going to buy a new car right now. The old one still runs fine. Besides 11, the simple 12 truth 13 is we don't have the money and that's the long and short of it.
这个爸爸说：不，我们现在不买新车。那辆老车还挺好用。另外，事实上，我们没有钱去买新车。这就是基本的现实。
买一辆新车是很贵的。当然，这还要看你想买什么样的车。最便宜的就目前的价钱来看也至少要大约一万美元。要买名牌汽车的话，五六万美元是并不是最高的价格。年轻人喜欢的跑车也比一般车要贵。是有一些美国人每隔几年就要换一辆新车，但大多数人恐怕难以做到。
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有不少美国大学生都在学校附近找房子住。比如说，两个学生一起租一套两房一厅的公寓房子，然后各人付一半房租。这样个人既有自己的房间，又比较便宜。但是，住在一起也会发生问题和纠纷。下面这个例子就是一个学生在对他合住的同学说话。
例句4: If you want to go on sharing 14 this apartment 15 with me, you've got to stop having parties everyday 16 and playing music loud after midnight 17. If you think you're not able 18 to observe 19 these rules, you can move out anytime 20 - that's the long and short of it!
这个学生说：要是你想继续跟我一起住在这里的话，你不可以再每天请客、聚会，也不能半夜三更大声放音乐。要是你认为你不能遵守这些规矩的话，那你可以随时搬出去。我已经把话都说清楚了。
- I just got some bad news.我刚得到一些坏消息。
- I have got far too much work to do.我要做的事太多了。
- The college drama society is going to put on a play.大学戏剧协会正准备上演一个剧目。
- I was hot on playing basketball when I was in college.我上大学时热衷于打篮球。
- He is certainly a hero!他无疑是个英雄！
- Some people certainly think so.有些人肯定会这么认为。
- He said to me that he could not come.他对我说他不能来。
- He said to his mother that he would do it by himself.他对他的母亲说他将自己独立做那件事。
- Would you like to saw a tree for me?你能为我锯棵树吗？
- The moment I saw you,I knew you were angry with me.我一看到你，就知道你在生我的气。
- She is my wife.她是我妻子。
- He is a tall man but his wife is a short woman.他是个子很高的男人，但他妻子很矮。
- We're going to listen to a report this afternoon. 今天下午我们要去听报告。
- He hates leaving the office and going on holiday.他不愿离开办公室去度假。
- Please don't pick the flowers.请勿攀折花木。
- We are going to pick apples.我们要去摘苹果。
- My funny drawings amused the kids. 我的滑稽图画把孩子们逗乐了。
- The neighbours' kids are the bane of my life . 街坊邻居的孩子让我生活得很不安宁。
- He had other people to take care of besides me.除了我以外，他还需要照料其他人。
- Besides English, he has to study German and French.除英语外，他还要学德语和法语。
- He wrote a story in simple English.他用简单的英语写了一则故事。
- He was as simple as a child.他像孩子一样天真。
- We must find out the truth of the matter.我们必须弄清楚事情的真相。
- You may trust me that I'm speaking the truth.你可以相信我在说实话。
- Their friendship was forged by sharing adversity. 他们的友谊是由于共患难而结成的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Those things the Greeks called catharsis the sharing of pity and terror and joy with all. 那就是希腊人称之为“精神净化”的东西，大家一起感受怜悯和痛苦，分享快乐。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- How big is the apartment?这公寓有多大？
- Remember to clean your apartment.记得打扫你的公寓。
- Sweeping the floor is his everyday work.扫地是他的日常工作。
- He practices speaking English everyday.他每天练习说英语。
- The ship pulled in to the shore at midnight.那船半夜时靠岸。
- He looked at the moon and made the time to be midnight.他看了看月亮，估计时间是半夜了。
- How good and able he is!瞧他多能干啊！
- He is able to do this job well.他有能力做好这件工作。
- Didn't you observe the difference?难道你没有看出差别？
- Everyone should observe the law.谁都应该守法。