中國(guó)人在美國(guó)：口語表達(dá)也要入鄉(xiāng)隨俗（03）
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11. A peeking Tom
When small children peek through fences or into windows，they are probably just being curious。When a grown man does the same thing，it is often because he has other motives-and they aren't always innocent or respectable ones。A man snooping like that is a a peeking Tom，"The neighbors have called the police，They are certain there is a peeking Tom in the neighbourhood tonight。
Peek是窺視地意思，一個(gè)小男孩從圍墻或窗戶外偷看別人，可能是由于出于好奇心的驅(qū)使。但是當(dāng)一個(gè)大男人做出同樣的舉動(dòng)時(shí)，他就可能有猥褻的念頭。我們稱這樣的人叫”Peeking Tom“。”鄰居們都打電話報(bào)警，說今天晚上有個(gè)偷窺狂在附近出沒!
peek / pi:k; pik/ v [I, Ipr] ~ (at sth) look quickly and often secretively (at sth) 匆匆地(常為秘密地)看(某物); 偷看; 窺視: * No peeking! 禁止窺視! * peek over the fence 向籬笆那邊瞥一眼 * peek at sb's diary 偷看某人的日記.
12. A WINDFALL
Many words in English began as idioms.
A windfall is one of them.
It once referred to fruit that had been blown to the frond by the wind, but has now come to mean sudden good luck--Particularly in receiving money unexpectedly.
eg: "Felix won some money in the lottery and got a welcome windfall."
(那這個(gè)也算吧?)
13. John
John在美國(guó)算是大眾化的名字，除了我們實(shí)驗(yàn)室又一個(gè)John外，每次上德文課，當(dāng)老師叫一聲John來回答問題時(shí)候，此時(shí)教室里又好幾聲回應(yīng)。
一天，我有事情找隔壁實(shí)驗(yàn)室的Albert，找了半天，也不見他的蹤影。正好看到Chuck在聚精會(huì)神的做試驗(yàn)。我問他有沒有看到Albert, Chuck忙的頭也不抬用手往外一指說：“Check the john。”我想他八成太忙沒有聽清楚，就在重復(fù)了一遍，并且強(qiáng)調(diào)我要找的是Albert，不是John。
Chuck抬頭錯(cuò)愕的看了我一眼，干脆停下了手里的實(shí)驗(yàn)，說：“Follow me。”我們兩個(gè)走到實(shí)驗(yàn)室外，chuck指著不遠(yuǎn)處的廁所說：“Albert is in the john。”
這是，Albert正好從廁所出來，一時(shí)間我和Chuck不禁相視大笑，我也知道了，John除了用作人名之外，竟然還是廁所的代號(hào)!
14.吹horn
大衛(wèi)和我是搭檔，同一室工作，他頗得公司賞識(shí)。
一天，經(jīng)理叫我請(qǐng)大衛(wèi)去辦公室走一趟。不料大衛(wèi)頭也不抬就答道：“I don't blow my horn。”
辦公室那里有horn(號(hào)角，喇叭)呢?我只好將原話象經(jīng)理復(fù)述。不料他說：“Then you blow for him。”當(dāng)我發(fā)呆不語時(shí)候，他解釋說：總公司派人來了解大衛(wèi)，想表彰他。
我明白了，就一五一十地介紹了大衛(wèi)，給他吹了一次“horn”。
15.Egghead...
星期天，我們到朋友Helen家看錄像帶。她的弟弟正在電腦旁打報(bào)告，抬頭向我們打了一聲招呼后，完全不受干擾的又繼續(xù)埋頭工作。
Helen說：“我們看我們的電影，不必管他，he is such an egghead!”“雞蛋臉?不會(huì)吧!我覺得他應(yīng)該算是方面大耳的國(guó)字臉呀!“我如此的回答。
看我一本正經(jīng)的模樣，大家都笑了起來。原來，Egghead是指那些有呆氣的讀書人或者愛講道理的知識(shí)分子，和什么臉形，面相都無關(guān)系!
egghead n (infml derog 口, 貶) very intellectual person 很有學(xué)問的人:
* The eggheads at the university know nothing about business. 大學(xué)的飽學(xué)之士對(duì)做生意一竅不通.
