我們今天要講的習(xí)慣用語(yǔ)有這個(gè)詞: stomach. Stomach可以指胃或者腹部。我們來(lái)學(xué)第一個(gè)習(xí)慣用語(yǔ): eyes bigger than your stomach。這句話直譯就是眼睛比胃口大。我們有時(shí)看到自己愛吃的東西就貪心地拿了好多,但是我們的腸胃卻容納不下,eyes bigger than your stomach描述的就是這種情況。好,我們來(lái)聽個(gè)例子,說(shuō)話的人特愛吃意大利烤餡餅,也就是pizza。
例句-1:Every time we have pizza I take too much. Last time I couldn't finish it, but I still ate so much I had to throw up. I guess you could say my eyes are bigger than my stomach.
他說(shuō):我們每回吃pizza我總是要得太多。上次我實(shí)在吃不下,而我還是吃太多,以至吐了出來(lái)。我猜你可能會(huì)說(shuō)我眼睛大胃口小了。
所以eyes bigger than your stomach,思就是想要多吃點(diǎn)兒,但是胃口卻容納不下。
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我們來(lái)學(xué)下一個(gè)習(xí)慣用語(yǔ): butterflies in your stomach。Butterflies是蝴蝶,想象一下如果有好幾只蝴蝶在你肚子里上下翻飛,那該是什么樣的滋味呢?當(dāng)然是七上八下地折騰,很不好受。蝴蝶是飛不進(jìn)肚子里的,這顯然是比喻的說(shuō)法。它形容甚么樣的心理狀態(tài)呢? 讓我們聽個(gè)例子來(lái)琢磨,說(shuō)的是Jennifer求職面談的事兒。
例句-2:When Jennifer went in for the job interview at the law firm, she had plenty of butterflies in her stomach. Luckily, the interview went well and she got the job.
他說(shuō):當(dāng)Jennifer去那家法律咨詢公司求職面談的時(shí)候心里七上八下的非常緊張,幸虧面談順利,她得到了那個(gè)工作。
可見have butterflies in one's stomach是形容由于恐懼、焦慮或者緊張而產(chǎn)生的忐忑不安的心理狀態(tài)。
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我們接著要學(xué)的習(xí)慣說(shuō)法有belly這個(gè)詞。Belly和stomach是同義詞,都指肚子或者胃,我們首先要學(xué)的是: belly ache。很多人知道這個(gè)說(shuō)法的意思是肚子痛或者胃疼。但是我們這兒要學(xué)的是把bellyache當(dāng)動(dòng)詞用。人們鬧胃疼的時(shí)候往往會(huì)哼哼唧唧地呻吟訴苦,于是大約在十九世紀(jì)中期的時(shí)候人們開始用bellyache表示慣于對(duì)一切瑣碎小事都嘮嘮叨叨地抱怨個(gè)沒完。讓我們來(lái)聽個(gè)例子:
例句-3:When I asked Joe to type the report, he complained about sore fingers. Then I asked him to run an errand downtown he said his feet hurt. When I invited him to the office party, he said parties always depressed him. That guy's always bellyaching about something.
他說(shuō):當(dāng)我要Joe打印一份報(bào)告的時(shí)候,他說(shuō)手指疼。然后我要他去市中心辦點(diǎn)事兒,他卻說(shuō)腳疼。在我請(qǐng)他參加辦公室宴會(huì)的時(shí)候他竟說(shuō),宴會(huì)老是讓他悶悶不樂。Joe這家伙可真有滿腹牢騷。
Bellyache意思就是對(duì)什么都不滿意,有滿腹的牢騷。
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我們?cè)賮?lái)學(xué)一個(gè)習(xí)慣用語(yǔ): belly up。這個(gè)習(xí)慣用語(yǔ)最常用的意思來(lái)自魚,你看過(guò)水里死魚的模樣嗎? 它們都是肚子朝天地在漂浮。這就引出belly up這個(gè)習(xí)慣用語(yǔ)表達(dá)“完蛋”的意思。好,我們來(lái)聽個(gè)例子:
例句-4:I used to work for a company that had always made money so I thought my job was safe. But the company ran into hard times and finally went belly up so now I have to find another job.
他說(shuō):我原來(lái)為一家連年盈利的公司工作,所以認(rèn)為自己的職業(yè)很穩(wěn)定。但是那家公司遇到了困難,最后倒閉了,所以目前我只得再找工。
可見belly up可以指企業(yè)失敗倒閉。