时间:2019-02-18 作者:英语课 分类:美国习惯用语


英语课

  今天我们要学的习惯用语都含有end。这是个大家都熟悉的词。它通常解释为末端,但是用在习惯用语里可以有很多不同的意思。例如在下面的习惯用语里ends指对立的两方。Play both ends against the middle。要是某人play both ends against the middle,这人就是在对立双方间玩弄手腕,造成双方相争,使自己得利。

据说这个习惯用语来自一种一百多年前几乎跟poker一样风行的纸牌赌博游戏,叫做faro。不过,它究竟是怎么来的众说纷纭。有一种说法是play both ends against the middle其实就指发牌的庄家让玩牌的人同时下两笔赌注。

另一种说法是它指发牌的庄家做手脚,把某些关键牌的两端削短。这样在必要时庄家就能从一堆牌里认出这些关键的牌来了。我们来听个例子。在竞选公职的时候,有时你会有两个对手跟你竞争。一种取巧的计策就是让这两名对手蚌鹤相争。这样他俩就无暇把你作为攻击对象了。

我们要听的就是那样一个例子。它说的是Ed Green竞选美国东部一个大城市的市长职位。

例句-1:Ed Green won by playing both ends against the middle: one opponent was conservative, the other liberal. So he let them fight it out with each other while he told everybody he was a moderate who could see both sides of a question.

他说:Ed Green在对立两派间耍弄手段而赢得了选举胜利。他的两个竞争对手分别是保守派和自由派,他让他们斗得不可开交,而他却从中渔利,到处宣扬自己是温和的中间派,看问题能两面兼顾。

这里的play both ends against the middle含义是在对立两派间耍弄手段,从中渔利。

******

其实像这样玩弄手腕的事例不只是政界才有,日常生活中也常有所闻。我们接下来要听的例子就发生在一家大企业要提升雇员的时候。有三个人在竞争这个提升机会,其中一个名叫Smith,他分别到另外两人面前说,在他心目中那个人最适合被提升,然后又加油添醋地说另一个人如何如何说那人的坏话;结果那两人在大庭广众面前吵得天翻地复。后来呢? 我们一起来听。

例句-2:Smith got the job by playing both ends against the middle. The directors picked him because they thought the other two were too bad-tempered 1 to get along with the office staff.

他说:Smith耍弄两面手腕而谋得这个职位。董事会选中了他是因为觉得另外两人脾气太暴躁,不能与工作人员和睦相处。

这里的play both ends against the middle意思还是玩弄手腕,在他人之间挑起事端,使自己得利。

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再学个从end发展而来的习惯用语,里面的end不是对立两派,而是协议或者合同契约中的某一方所要做的事情: hold up one's end。这里的one's end是协议中某一方当尽的责任和义务,那么整个习惯用语hold up one's end是什么意思呢? 我们听个例子来琢磨。说话的是个父亲。他在跟朋友商量,自己和儿子Randy有过协议,要是儿子大学毕业成绩好的话,他答应给儿子买辆汽车。好,我们听这位父亲怎么说。

例句-3:Well, Randy graduated with high grades. So I have to hold up my end and dig up the money to get him his first car. Say, you know any dealer 2 where I can get a good price?

原来儿子毕业成绩优秀,所以父亲必须掏钱给儿子买第一辆车,他这是在跟朋友打听知不知道哪个价钱比较好的经销商。

既然父亲给儿子打过成绩好就买车的保票,所以父亲现在是在履行当初自己所作的承诺。这样看来习惯用语hold up one's end就是履行自己在协议中的承诺。

******

我们再听个例子。这回说的可是更为正式的协议了。说话的人和表兄讲妥合股开一家钟表修理店。他遵守协议付了店面的租金。协议规定他表兄得出钱买店内家具设备,但是表兄却迟迟不履行承诺。这使他经济窘迫,甚至面临破产。好,我们听听他打算怎么办。

例句-4:I tell you, unless my cousin puts in his share, I'll be broke. I'm afraid I may have to hire a lawyer and go to court to make the guy hold up his end of the deal.

他说:我跟你说吧,要是我表兄再不出他那份钱的话,我就会变成穷光蛋了。恐怕我得雇律师上法庭,迫使那家伙履行他在契约中承担的义务。



adj.脾气坏的
  • He grew more and more bad-tempered as the afternoon wore on.随着下午一点点地过去,他的脾气也越来越坏。
  • I know he's often bad-tempered but really,you know,he's got a heart of gold.我知道他经常发脾气,但是,要知道,其实他心肠很好。
n.商人,贩子
  • The dealer spent hours bargaining for the painting.那个商人为购买那幅画花了几个小时讨价还价。
  • The dealer reduced the price for cash down.这家商店对付现金的人减价优惠。
学英语单词
Acrotretida
analysis of capacity and load
Ardmore
ayargas
beat you
bicorporeal
binary computer
cable puncture
camposporium japonicum
caudell
cervix columnae posterioris cervix cornus
check valve spring
circuit limiter
clock reference
close spaced structure
comp counselor
congenital intestinal stenosis
container loader
copper ores
copper-clad aluminum conductor
corrugated packing ring
cupola slag hole block
dark shading
device-independent program
drag link ball
dumontite
El'brus
electrofuges
embezzlements
extra risk
file storage station
flagrant
font production
forge-weld
gentleship
geographic series
griqualandite (crocidolite)
group moment
high-centres
HMG-CoA
incendiary leaf
index disk
intercalary inflorescence
Java application
jonesy
kagle
Kastler, Alfred
kordt
Larix olgensis
magnetogastrogram
medium power modulation system
Mount Hogan
Mucula
multi-frequency satellite
nepionotype
official business leave
one-finite way only operation
oppicate
out-bound
paranaesthesia
pericolpitis
perjorative
petrogeochemistry
pheasant under glass
Pinukpuk
pinus californiarums
plasma-coagulase
plastic transistor
porcelain tooth
pylopaguropsis zebra
rafisiderite (raphisiderite)
Rainer Maria Rilke
rest time control
rolling with negative tolerance
scenes of spring
scopograp
scorch resistance
seidel
seminalplasmin
Silicoflagellata
speed indicators
sphedanolestes impressicollis
spliff up
stage-setting
stepless acceleration
straw shopping bag
streamer fault locator
t-unit
tape-loop storage
three-state control
Tifatol
titration end-point
twilight band
upward displacement
Ushetu
valve lift diagram
viperous
well-contenting
whiskyless
Whyalla
wing a flight
worldkin