語言小點心 A Chip from the Old Block 一個模子刻出來似的
Exercise 練一練
1. If we call someone a chip off the old block, we mean they are:
a) good at making furniture
b) police officers
c) similar to their parents
2. What was the 'block' made of in the origin of this expression?
3. Which very well-known international figure is a chip off the old block?
Script 讀一讀
You’re listening to British Council’s English Online podcast and I’m Nina. Today on Language Snacks we take a look at the expression a chip off the old block. Let’s listen to the dialogue.
您正在收聽的是英國總領(lǐng)事館英語在線播客欄目，我是Nina。今天的英語點心節(jié)目我們一起來看下a chip off the old block 這個短語。讓我們來聽下面的對話。
A: Guess who I saw the other day?
A：猜猜那天我看到誰了?
B: Go on, who?
B：說啊，是誰?
A: Helen! And guess what? She's joined the police, just like her dad.
A:Helen，你知道嗎，她當(dāng)警察了，跟她爸爸一樣。
B: Really? She's a chip off the old block, isn't she?
B：真的嗎?她跟她爸還真是一個模子刻出來的，是吧?
A: Yes! She was always very similar to her dad though, wasn't she?
A：對啊，不過她一直都像她爸很像呢，是吧?
When we describe someone as a chip off the old block, we mean that they are similar to one or both of their parents. It could be about their appearance or their behaviour. The expression comes from carpentry and the idea is that the parent is a 'block' of wood, and the child is a small 'chip' of the same material. A famous example of a chip off the old block is George W.Bush, who, just like his father, went into politics and, of course, became the president of the Unites States.
說某人是 a chip off the old block 一個模子刻出來的(一塊木頭上掉下來的木片)，意思是他們跟他們的父母很相像，這個可以是外貌上像，也可以是行為上的。這個短語出自于木工俗語，說的是父母就是一大塊木頭，而孩子呢就是這塊木料上掉下來的一塊木片。前總統(tǒng)小布什就是一個說明“木塊上掉下來的木片”典型例子，和他父親走同一條從政之路，然后成為美國總統(tǒng)。
And that’s it for now – join us again for some more Language Snacks. You’ve been listening to English Online – the podcast for English learners in China.
好了今天的節(jié)目就到這里，歡迎您繼續(xù)收聽下期《英語點心》。您正在收聽的是”英語在線“，專為中國英語學(xué)習(xí)者的播客欄目。
Key 參考答案
1. c
2. wood
3. George W.Bush
你答對了嗎?把每天的習(xí)語記下來，和Brits (口語，英國人)聊天時可以用得上哦。
