To stick to one's guns
Shooting the breeze
今天我們要講的兩個(gè)俗語(yǔ)是和槍,也就是英語(yǔ)里的gun這個(gè)字有聯(lián)系的。我們要講的第一個(gè)俗語(yǔ)是to stick to one's guns。對(duì)于士兵來(lái)說(shuō),在被很多敵人包圍的情況下還要能持續(xù)裝炮彈發(fā)射的話,他們肯定需要很多勇氣。這種精神在英文里就是to stick to one's guns.
To stick to one's guns從字面上來(lái)解釋是指槍。但是這個(gè)俗語(yǔ)現(xiàn)在幾乎和槍沒(méi)有什么關(guān)系,它的意思就是:在日常生活中堅(jiān)持原則,穩(wěn)步前進(jìn),不屈服外界的壓力。比如說(shuō),一個(gè)爸爸對(duì)他在大學(xué)念書(shū)的女兒講話:
例句-1: Pumpkin, I hear that some of the students at your school are fooling around with drugs. But I hope, young woman, that you stick to your guns and keep saying no!
這位爸爸說(shuō):"小鬼,我聽(tīng)說(shuō)你們學(xué)校的學(xué)生里有吸毒的現(xiàn)象。我希望你堅(jiān)持正道,堅(jiān)決抵制這種惡習(xí)!"
事實(shí)上,世界上有許多事都是靠堅(jiān)忍不拔的精神才能辦成的。下面我們?cè)賮?lái)舉個(gè)例子:
例句-2: I have to admire the ladies who fifty years ago worked so hard to get women the right to vote. People laughed at them at first but they stuck to their guns and got the congress to pass the 19th Amendment back in 1920.
這個(gè)人說(shuō):"我很欽佩以前那些女士們,她們五十年前努力為婦女爭(zhēng)取選舉權(quán)。開(kāi)始,許多人都笑話她們。但是,她們堅(jiān)定不移,最后在1920年終于促使國(guó)會(huì)通過(guò)了美國(guó)憲法的第十九項(xiàng)修正案。"
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今天我們要講的第二個(gè)俗語(yǔ)雖然沒(méi)有g(shù)un這個(gè)字,但是和開(kāi)槍也是有關(guān)的,這就是shooting the breeze。Shoot就是開(kāi)槍的意思。Shooting the breeze就是在很輕松、很愉快的氣氛下和朋友聊天。例如,一個(gè)教室里的學(xué)生在等教授來(lái)上課。其中有兩個(gè)學(xué)生是同鄉(xiāng)。這兩人中的一個(gè)說(shuō):
例句-3: Say, Bill, how about coming back to my room after class? I'll get a couple of cold sodas and we'll shoot the breeze for a while.
這個(gè)學(xué)生說(shuō):"喂,比爾,上完課你到我宿舍去吧。我去買兩瓶汽水,咱們聊回兒天,你看怎么樣?"
學(xué)生上完課聊一會(huì)兒天當(dāng)然是無(wú)可非議的??墒?,在某種情況下聊天可能會(huì)出問(wèn)題的。你聽(tīng)下面這個(gè)人說(shuō)的話就明白了:
例句-4: At the staff meeting this morning the boss told us she wanted to see us at our desks busy working instead of spending so much time standing around shooting the breeze with each other.
這個(gè)人說(shuō):"今天早上我們辦公室開(kāi)會(huì)的時(shí)候,我們的頭兒說(shuō),她要看到我們都坐在自己桌子那里忙著干自己的活,而不是花好多時(shí)間站在那兒閑聊天。"