时间:2019-02-18 作者:英语课 分类:美国习惯用语


英语课

今天我们要讲的习惯用语的关键词是pot。我想大家都熟悉pot这个词。它可以解释煮东西的锅子。我们要学的第一个习惯用语是: go to pot。 Go to pot这个习惯用语来自牧场。牧场上的牲口随着年龄的增长而每况欲下,最后在老得不中用的时候就难逃被屠宰的命运,然后人们会把它们切成小块扔进锅里煮了吃。这就是go to pot这个习惯用语的出典,当然现在它通用的意思和描述的对象已经有所转化。


让我们来听个例子。这个人在说自己的弟弟Freddy,曾几何时Freddy是运动健将,而如今他却放任自流、每况愈下。


例句-1:My brother Freddy used to be a star athlete, but he's really let himself go to pot. In high school he ran eight miles every day but now he just sits in front of the TV eating potato chips.


大家都听清楚了吧? 他的弟弟Freddy原是个运动明星。在中学时代每天坚持长跑八英哩,但是如今他不但不锻炼还成天懒懒散散地呆在电视机前大嚼炸薯片....大家知道光看电视不运动已经有损健康,还要吃好多炸薯片之类油腻而不健康的食品,就更有害身体,所以说Freddy has let himself go to pot。也就是说他放任自流,每况愈下。


可见go to pot意思就是情况越来越糟糕。


******


我们再来学一个习惯用语:sweeten the pot. Sweeten是加糖弄甜的意思。厨师烹调的时候常有一个秘诀就是在锅里加上点儿糖或者蜂蜜来调味。这样往往会使菜肴色香味俱增,更合口味。习惯用语sweeten the pot就这样流传开来了,同时这个习惯用语也有了更广泛的意义。让我们听个例子来体会它的含义。


例句-2:The job wasn't very interesting, but I decided 1 to take it anyway after they sweetened the pot by promising 2 me four weeks of paid vacation, a company car and a big bonus. How could I say no?


大家一定都听明白了。他原来觉得那工作不太有意思,但是他们对他作了几个诱人的许诺,包括四个星期的带工资假期,公司配给汽车,还有大笔奖金。当然这些优惠使得这份工作十分合人心意,因而具有难以抗拒的吸引力了,所以他还是接受了那工作。


可见sweetened the pot含义是改善条件,使之更合人心意。有时候sweetened the pot也用在业务交易方面,含义是添加某些优惠条件使得一笔交易更有利可图,并因而有更大的吸引力。


******


我们还要学一个习惯用语: pot calling the kettle black。 Kettle是水壶。这个习惯用语来自十七世纪用炉子里生火煮饭的年代。那时侯无论是Pot还是Kettle ,长年累月经炉火烧烤都会变得一样的焦黑,要是锅子数落水壶黑的话,其实它自己也半斤八两,好不到哪儿去。好,我们来听个例子。


例句-3:My sister Susan always lies to our parents about her grades in school. One time I forgot to tell Mom and Dad I'd failed my English exam, and Susan accused me of lying all the time. If that's not the pot calling the kettle black I don't know what it is!


他说:我姐姐Susan老是对爸妈谎报学习成绩,而当我仅仅一次忘了告诉爸妈我英文考试不及格的时候,她竟然指责我也一直撒谎,她要数落我也不看看自己的缺点有多大。


其实中国也有句类似的俗话:要说别人不干净,除非自己的锅底没黑! 换句话说是:自己有同样的缺点,反倒去批评别人。

 



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。
adj.有希望的,有前途的
  • The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
  • We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。
学英语单词
abnormal phoneme
aestuum
alternative carriage
anal operculum
antiarachnolysin
backstair
banana kicks
barenboim
be under review
BISCS
bow mechanism
bursae iliopectinea
Chladni
chromium tungstate
compound oil
concentrated evaporator
conical gauge
conpsoromic acid
convergence region
countryish
debit credit mechanism
delayed time-base sweep
disarmings
discredits
distinctiveness ratio
electropositive
erewhile (s)
extended field
filament blend yarn
Flumezin
foreappoint
forest goats
formation signal
frontal-contour chart
Gaius Julius Caesar
Galton's delta
gastrique
generalife
Gentianopsis holopetala
get ... on
gnathoscope
Guy's pill
Huschke's valves
hyperegy
integrated tug-barge
it feels like
kalioun
karagandas
Kievites
KING (Kinetic Intense Neutron Generator)
layman management
line control word
lobotess
lobularities
luci
magnesium carbonate
Makhāmīr, Jab.al
microwave dryer
mimoplocia notata
MIRAPINNIDAE
modern drama
nandrolone phenylpropionate
nonimplant
Olovyannaya
one quadrant convertor
optical parallelism
overhead
p-hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid
pendler
PHLA
placida dendritica
predicator
production engine
provisional acceptance
purophobia
requisite book
reverse-commutes
rule with an iron fist
Sikkim holly
siliceous geyserite
solid error
solid lubricant
solubility parameter
spermatozoon (pl. spermatozoa)
spray chemical
stationary tangent
Stenshuvud
subdivision rules
taxation theories and principles
the Demerara
thinkos
tidal zone biology
timber drying
tropical air mass
true income
undilating
US Coast Guard
Wii Sports
wolf jaw
xterra
yard craft