时间:2019-01-11 作者:英语课 分类:美国习惯用语


英语课

我们上次学的几个习惯用语都含有表示五分硬币的词nickel 1。今天要学的习惯用语里的关键词汇是币值仅高于nickel的dime 2。然而出乎意料的是dime比 nickel和一分硬币penny都要小。它是美国钱币中最小最薄的一个。原因是当初铸造dime用了比较贵重的银子。


今天要学的第一个习惯用语是:turn on a dime。 Turn on a dime要是直译就是在一个十分硬币上打转。刚才说过dime是个一丁点儿大小的银圆,所以turn on a dime一定是形容在极小极小的地方打转。换句话说是活动非常灵巧。


我们来听个例子,有位先生要来告诉我们他为什么喜欢自己开的那辆老车。


例句-1:You know the car is ten years old and one of these days I'll have to spend the money to buy a new one. But there's one thing I love about it, the way it handles - it can really turn on a dime, just like one of those expensive sports cars.


他说:你知道我那辆车已经开了十年了,近期内我不得不花钱去买辆新的。但是我喜欢这辆车开起来运转自如。它确实非常灵巧,就象那些价值昂贵的赛车那样。


这段话里的turn on a dime意思就是灵活的意思。 这个习惯用语常常会被用来描述汽车所具备的这种性能,但是有时也可以用来说人。例如要是一名篮球运动员动作迅速灵敏,能闪电般地转变方向,那么我们也能这样说他:He can really turn on a dime.


******


今天要学的第二个习惯用语是:get off the dime。 Get off有离开的意思。这个习惯用语听来似乎有点古怪。其实它起源于二十世纪的早年。当时城里开设向公众开放的舞厅。一名男士花十美分买了一张舞票,舞厅里的一个伴舞女郎就会来陪他跳完一支四、五分钟长的短短的舞曲。有些舞客会一下子买好多舞票,那就可以跟不同的伴舞小姐一起跳好多次舞了。


舞厅经理为了赚钱,必须在一支舞曲结束时催促舞客立即离开舞池,别站在原地跟伴舞小姐聊天。由于一张舞票只是十美分,于是舞厅经理要舞客快走的话就是:get off the dime. 这句话不知怎么就流传到舞厅外被广泛应用在其它各种场合,来命令他人别耽搁、马上继续行动。我们听个例子。


有位企业主管担心本公司的工作人员办事不力,草拟一份重要的合同的工作拖拉,可能会赶不上时间,于是他召开会议这样训诫手下员工:


例句-2:Come on, people, let's get off the dime! Our vice 3 president has to take that contract with him when he goes to Los Angeles Thursday to meet the customer. We only have two days to finish it, so I say it again, it's time to get off the dime.


他说:好吧,各位,别再拖延,立即行动!我们的副总裁星期四得带着合同去洛杉矶跟顾客会面。我们只剩下两天时间作准备了,所以我再次强调:别拖延,立刻行动。


这里的习惯用语get off the dime意思就是:不要拖延,马上行动!


******


今天要学的第三个习惯用语是:a dime a dozen。 A dime a dozen从字面意思来看就是十美分一打。怎么会这么便宜呢?一定是多得不知其数又极其普通的东西才会这样不值一文。其实作为习惯用语a dime a dozen既可以说东西也可以用来说人。指什么样的人呢?我们听个例子来领会吧。


这是个哥哥在劝慰妹妹Betty。 Betty的男朋友刚甩了Betty去追别的女孩儿了,于是Betty情绪低落。我们听听这位好哥哥怎么给妹妹打气,特别注意他话里的习惯用语a dime a dozen:


例句-3:Betty, don't let it get you down. To tell you the truth, I never thought much of that guy - men like him are a dime a dozen. Forget about him! With your brains, good looks and personality, there'll be a lot of other guys interested in you.


他说:Betty, 别为这事儿垂头丧气。 老实说,我一向认为那家伙没什么大不了 - 这样的人一文不值。把他忘了吧!有你这么好的头脑、相貌和性情,好多别的男孩儿都会对你有意思的。


显然这里的a dime a dozen用来评论人毫无价值。

 



n.镍,(美国和加拿大的)五分钱
  • Nickel can be used for making coins.镍可做成钱币。
  • May I have a nickel?能给我五分钱吗?
n.(指美国、加拿大的钱币)一角
  • A dime is a tenth of a dollar.一角银币是十分之一美元。
  • The liberty torch is on the back of the dime.自由火炬在一角硬币的反面。
n.坏事;恶习;[pl.]台钳,老虎钳;adj.副的
  • He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
  • They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。
学英语单词
abadi
abnormalizing
Adabaī Mahamoud
Adonias
aided laying
Air Pressure Relief Valve
allantoises
aneitensis
annul-
arachnopia
ball viscosimeter
basic assember program
behavioral relationship
belly-achings
bristlecone
cakepans
canvass for contribution
Capromycinum
caroticotympanic nerves
central angles
Cheggers
cocosoid
connecting screw rod
convertible currencies
cubiclizes
Cuenca
deficit reactivity
Diamond Jim Brady
dicapryloyl peroxide
distributed delay model
driven rod
Einhorn's disease
enzymoprivic
Eoligonodina
Erigeron L.
feed on animal's blood
fresh in someone's mind
fruit diameter index
galdosian
Gamtoos R.
greatest common factor
Hirst's phenomenon
homo soloenses
hook stud
hydrocephalies
increment mode display
inculpably
isolated operation
jamuna
jup
Kabara, L.
Korsakov's psychosis
L. C. L. bodizs
Lake of the Woods
laser pressure gauge
leze-majesty
liquid composite molding (lcm)
lithodes formosae
madrepore marble
magnetic bearing
make our point
manufacture out of whole cloth
megamera
mulcher stubble
net explosive weight
non-b
nondessert
northwest corner rule
onion-domed
ornitholeucism
Paloxin
Pearson's coefficient of meansquare contingency
phase-iii
pig-metal
pigginstring
preaching to the choir
PSAD
pyrola americanas
radial force
refrigerator cryopump
revolves around
saccharogalactorrhea
sadsack
sapo glycerinatus
sarc-
sheddest
shovel-crowding engine
shovelnose-ray
single-cycle forced-circulation boiling water
slot part
snow-jobbed
spankiest
Strongylus apri
super orthogonal code
tertiates
thass
thermobank defrost
tracies
trise
video-fax
wet shoots
Yangdi