詞語掌故解析:和蔬果有關(guān)的表達(dá)
Today wewill talk about expressions that use vegetables and fruits.
For example,a cucumber is a long, green vegetable thatpeople often eat in salads. You might say a person is ascool as a cucumber if he never seems to worry about anything and stayscalm in a stressful situation. If you put a cucumber in a solution of vinegar and spices for a long time, it becomes a pickle. But if you are in a pickle, you are in trouble or a difficult situation.
cucumber:黃瓜
ascool as a cucumber: never seems to worry about anything and stays calm in astressful situation鎮(zhèn)定自若
vinegar:醋(注意拼寫)
pickle:泡菜
ina pickle: 處于困境之中
If 2 peopleare very similar, you might say they are like 2peas in a pod.
twopeas in a pod:一個(gè)豆莢里的兩顆豌豆,表示兩人相像
There areseveral expressions about beans. If someone is very energetic, you might sayshe is full of beans. If you say something does not amount to a hill of beans, you mean it isof little importance. I might say you don't knowbeans about a subject if you do not know anything at all about it. Butif you spill the beans, you tell somethingthat was supposed to be a secret.
fullof beans: 精力旺盛
doesnot amount to a hill of beans: 一文不值
don'tknow beans about a subject:一竅不通
spillthe beans: 泄密
Potatoes area popular food in many areas. But something is considered small potatoes if it is not important. Youprobably would not want to hold a hot potato in your bare hands. This also means a problem or issue that no one wants todeal with. Someone might call you a couch potato if you sit and watch television all day and get little or no physical exercise.
smallpotatoes:小人物,不重要的`
hotpotato:燙手山芋
acouch potato:懶人
【參考譯文】
今天,我們要討論的是那些使用了蔬菜名和水果名的俗語。
比如,黃瓜是一種長(zhǎng)型的綠色蔬菜,人們常在沙拉中吃到。當(dāng)一個(gè)人從不為任何事?lián)鷳n,或在緊張的形勢(shì)下仍能保持冷靜,你也許會(huì)說這個(gè)人“as cool as a cucumber(鎮(zhèn)定自若)”。如果你長(zhǎng)時(shí)間把黃瓜放在醋和辣椒的混合液中,它會(huì)變成為泡菜。但如果你正“in a pickle(處于困境之中)”,那就是說你有了麻煩,或者遇到了困難。
如果兩個(gè)人長(zhǎng)得非常相似,你會(huì)說他們就像“two peas in a pod(一個(gè)豆莢里的兩顆豌豆)"。
關(guān)于豆子的俗語有好幾個(gè)。如果一個(gè)人精力充沛,你可以說她“full of beans(精力旺盛)”。如果你說某樣?xùn)|西“does not amount to a hill of beans(一文不值)”,你的意思是說它并不重要。如果你對(duì)某件事情一無所知,我可能會(huì)說你“don’t know beans about a subject(一竅不通)”。但如果你“spill the beans(泄密)”,那你說了某些本該是秘密的事情。
在很多地方,土豆是一種很受歡迎的食物。但如果某個(gè)東西是不重要的,那它則被認(rèn)為是“small potatoes(小人物,不重要的)”。你大概不想徒手捧著“hot potato(燙手山芋)”,這代表了沒有人想去處理的難題。如果你成天坐著看電視,很少鍛煉,也許會(huì)有人稱你為“a couch potato(懶人)”。