美国习惯用语第843:neither here nor there
时间:2019-03-14 作者:英语课 分类:美国习惯用语
英语课
美国习惯用语第843:无关紧要(音频)
neither here nor there
我特别喜欢去电影院看电影,可是有时也会遇到一些不愉快的事情。比如说上个周末,我们后面坐的三个女孩子,从电影一开始就旁若无人地聊天。我后来实在忍无可忍,回头请她们保持安静,谁知其中一个女孩说,我们可是比你先坐在这儿的,让我哭笑不得,因为英语里说:neither here nor there.
Neither here nor there这个习惯用语的意思是无关紧要。我之所以这么说,是因为在电影院里保持安静是最起码的礼貌,先来后到其实并不重要。
在下面这个例子中,一名政客擅自挪用税款,欺骗选民。让我们一起听听他在为自己做出辩护的时候是怎么说的。
例句-1:Our senator 1 was found guilty of taking tax money to pay for his summer home. When confronted 2, he reminded reporters that he had been serving the citizens for over 40 years. That remark was neither here nor there; he'd broken the law! Did he think that he could divert 3 our attention from his crime?
这段话说:我们的参议员已经被认定有罪,罪名是挪用税款,给自己盖夏季别墅。被问到这个问题时,他居然提醒记者说,他已经为大众服务四十多年了。从政多少年并不重要,重要的是,他违反了法律。他难道以为这样说,就能让我们不再注意他的罪行吗?
这倒让我想到一件好笑的事情。每次我老公做错事,只要我嗓门稍微一升高,他马上就会夸我看上去年轻漂亮。What he's saying is neither here nor there. 他这么说明摆着就是在转移视线,避重就轻。
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我有好几个朋友的孩子都曾前往伊拉克作战。最近,我跟一个马上准备回来的孩子聊天,才发现,在这些军人的心目中,什么才是最重要的。让我们一起听听他是怎么说的。
例句-2:My tour of duty is nearly over and my mom's busy planning my favorite meals. I really appreciate her thinking of me. But whatever she makes seems neither here nor there. It just isn't that important. What I care about is being home with my family again.
这个人说:我驻防的任务马上就要结束了,妈妈正在准备做那些我最喜欢吃的菜。她能这么惦记我,我当然高兴,可其实,她做什么饭菜并不重要,最让我高兴的是,我又能跟家人团聚了。
看来,战场的磨炼还真能让人成熟。
说到年纪,neither here nor there,这个习惯用语最早出现是在1583年。
n.参议员,评议员
- The senator urged against the adoption of the measure.那参议员极力反对采取这项措施。
- The senator's speech hit at government spending.参议员的讲话批评了政府的开支。
面对( confront的过去式和过去分词 ); 使面对; 使对质; 处理
- When we confronted him, he denied everything. 我们与他当面对质时,他什么都不承认。
- The writer confronted his pile of work with determination. 那作家下决心面对成堆的工作。
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习惯用语