时间:2019-02-06 作者:英语课 分类:美国习惯用语


英语课

我们今天要讲的习惯用语有一个共同的词: top。大家一定早知道这个词。它解释顶端。一般说来高高在上的总比压在底层的来得优越。这正反映在我们先学的两个习惯用语里: top gun. Gun是枪。Top gun来自美国西部刚开拓的年代。当年枪手你死我活地血战拚杀,就为了争个top gun的称号,意思是头号枪手。


Top gun这个短语沿用至今,但是如今它所表示的人物可比杀气腾腾的枪手显得温和,而且可以用来指和刀枪根本沾不上边的各界人物。我们来听个例子,说的是一个体育明星被控杀妻案件的审判。


例句-1:The football star hired several of the top guns among defense 1 lawyers all over America. They managed to convince the jury that he was not guilty.


他说:那位足球明星网罗了美国辩护律师中几名高手。这些人设法使陪审团相信被告无罪。


被控谋杀妻子是有可能被判死刑的重案。而那些辩护律师却能说服陪审团作出被告无罪的裁决,可见他们手段高超,辩才出众。


所以这里的top gun指的是某领域内的高手。


******


刚才说的那些高明的律师也可以这样称呼: top drawer。 Drawer是抽屉,top drawer从字面意思来看是顶上抽屉。人们通常把最宝贵的物件,像首饰之类,放在五斗橱的顶格抽屉里。这也许就是用top drawer来指“高手”的出典,但是top drawer和top gun不同;top drawer不仅指人也可以用来说珍贵的东西。例如在下面的这段话里。这是一个时装首饰推销员在向顾客推荐商品。


例句-2:Sure, our main competitor is cheaper, but their goods look cheap: I wouldn't want my daughter to wear them. But we make only top drawer merchandise that any woman is proud to wear.


他说:我们的主要对手开价确实比我们低,但是他们的货看来质量差。我可不要我女儿去戴这种货色。然而我们制作的全是第一流的高档商品,谁戴上都觉得自豪。


这里的top drawer意思是“高档。”


******


我们接著要学的习惯用语意义完全不同。第一个是: off the top of one's head。 Off the top of one's head从字面意思看来就是在头脑外。换句话说是没经过大脑。我们听个例子来揣摩它的含义吧。这是个参议员在答复另一名参议员。后者要求他对一项提案投赞成票。


例句-3:Senator, off the top of my head, I think I can vote for your bill. But before I decide, I want to talk to my staff and some voters back home to see how they feel about it.


他说:参议员,在未经思考的情况下我觉得我可以投票赞成你的提案。但是我在决定前还必须跟手下人和选民商谈,看看他们对该提案的反应。


思考问题得通过头脑里的大脑,所以off the top of my head意思是“尚未经过思考的。”


******


最后再学个习惯用语: blow one's top。 Blow解释吹气。这个习惯用语出典是这样:当年以煤炭作燃料的轮船不时得把烟灰通过船顶的烟囱排放出去。烟灰冲上烟囱时响声震耳欲聋。于是人们就把这比作气得七窍生烟、大发雷霆的人了。我们来听个例子。这是哥哥在跟成绩报告单很糟的弟弟说话。


例句-4:Dad is certainly going to blow his top when he sees this! You're failing in both English and Math and barely passing most of your other courses.


他说:爸爸看到这张成绩单一定会大发脾气。你英文、数学都不及格,其它科目也多半勉强及格。


所以blow one's top意思是大大发火。

 



n.防御,保卫;[pl.]防务工事;辩护,答辩
  • The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
  • The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。
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