时间:2018-12-16 作者:英语课 分类:美国习惯用语


英语课

 


我先生的公司有一位资历很深的工程师,一贯迟到早退,从来没有人敢管,直到上个月,公司换了一个新老板,跟他谈了一次话。从此以后,他再没迟到过。很显然,老板是明明白白地告诉他,要么准点上班,要么就收拾东西走人。


听了这个故事,今天我们要学的习惯用语就不难理解了:Lay it on the line. Lay it on the line这个习惯用语的意思是坦率地说明。


刚才例子里的公司老板,就是用这种法子根治了那个工程师迟到早退的坏习惯。He laid it on the line: if he came late again, he was going to be let go, 他说得很明白,如果再发生迟到的情况,就会被炒鱿鱼。


下面这个例子里的教授,也不得不对一个叫Cheryl 的学生采取同样的手段。让我们一起听听他是怎么说的。


例句-1:I've been too easygoing with Cheryl. She continues to turn her essays in after the deadline. But now I'm going to lay it on the line. If she tries that again, she'll get an 'F' on her paper. Perhaps being firm and clear with her will get her to change.


这个教授说:我对Cheryl可能太迁就了。她还是等最后期限过了以后,才把文章交给我。现在我要跟她讲清楚,如果再发生这种情况,我就给她不及格。也许只有我强硬一点,她才能改正。


有些人就是吃硬不吃软。只有lay it on the line, 才会真正引起他们的重视。这倒让我想起我们的市长。我支持他的一个主要原因,就是因为他对选民的坦率。他知道,要治理经济需要做出一些艰难的选择,比如说要增加税收。他没有象其他政客那样,躲避这些选择,He laid it on the line,他坦率地把一切告诉民众,从而赢得了大家的信任和支持。


******


直截了当,不绕弯子是很多教练的风格。让我们听听下面这个乒乓球运动员对自己教练的评价。


例句-2:Our table tennis coach has never been subtle 1 about criticizing our performance. When we're not playing well, she lays it on the line. Not everyone on the team appreciates her complete honesty, but I think it'll help us be more competitive 2.


这个队员说:我们的乒乓球教练在批判我们表现的时候,从来不会拐弯抹角。我们打得不好的时候,她一定会告诉我们。队里有些人并不喜欢她的这种坦率,可我却认为,这种风格能增加我们的竞争力。


乒乓球在美国并不普及,没有多少人喜欢玩。美国很多还不错的乒乓球选手其实都是从中国来的。我觉得,美国要想培养更多本土的乒乓好手,首先要让年轻人产生兴趣。比如说,可以组织乒乓球夏令营啊。


现在的夏令营种类多得让人眼花缭乱,既然模特夏令营都能有市场,为什么不能办个乒乓球的夏令营呢!虽然组织者们知道,参加模特夏令营的孩子们几乎不会有人真正进入模特的领域,但是, they rarely laid it on their line. 他们才不会明说呢。


你肯定想知道这个习惯用语的出处。I have to lay it on the line with you. 说实话,除了这个习惯用语是从二十世纪二十年代开始出现的以外,我还真没找到它的来源。



1 subtle
adj.难于觉察或描述的,精巧的
  • Her whole attitude had undergone a subtle change.她的整个态度发生了微妙的变化。
  • There's a subtle hint of garlic in the sauce.调味汁里稍微有一点蒜味。
2 competitive
adj.竞争的,比赛的,好竞争的,有竞争力的
  • Some kinds of business are competitive.有些商业是要竞争的。
  • These businessmen are both competitive and honourable.这些商人既有竞争性又很诚实。
学英语单词
acate pneumonic tuberculosis
air tanker
Allen key
amynologic
AOEL
AORTF
aperture-field method
Bactris
benzene hexachloride (bhc)
cage structure
camcorders
caraca
carved wooden necklace
ccr(current cell rate)
centerbody
charge turbulent fluctuation
circle shear
circular shelf dryer
closed cycle
coefficient of self oscillation
conjugate locus
conservations of mass
corrosion resisting property
cost utility analysis
cross-adaptation
crumpacker
cryogenic heat pipe
crystalliser
diacetyl-dihydroxydiphenylisatin
dimethyl tartrate
double punch and blank-column detection
dower and courtesy interests
Duhring's diagram
enteric bacillus
epistatic gene
EPO-R
family Lobotidae
Fleet vehicle
fuze firing mechanism
gets along
graduated hopper-charging
gynaeco-
Hall flowmeter
hindshanks
honey glands
Johnny on the spot
lehmannite
listenest
literary critics
make one's escape
marieclaude
mechanization of maintenance
miniatus
molecular absorption band
mounting metallurgical specimens
musculus extensor digitorum longus pedis
network-connected
neutral phosphate
NIH-7519
orates
paddle type agitator
papillary foramen
paris-journal
Phyllomahaleb
pitching change
platform barrier
POPSIPT
Porlezzina
propeller-regulating mechanism
pulpiform
rassling
recovery flap
remerging
resistance-weld mill
rock bolting jumbo
S.S.P.
spheriflex hub
spring gage
stopine
sturrocks
subdetector
superpredicate
switching line
tail throat of a hump yard
teeming stage
tetralogies of fallot
the Met
The sands are running out.
theater air priority number
Themar
tie-in line
tin plate printing
tinamidaes
trachodonts
transfer target
turning block
turpentine wood oil
universal cutter and tool grinder
weather search radar
zahava
Zarp