看到miss the boat的第一反應(yīng)是不是“沒趕上船”,當(dāng)然沒有這么簡單,它有更深層的意思:
to lose an opportunity to do something by being slow to act
(因行動(dòng)慢而)錯(cuò)過機(jī)會,錯(cuò)失良機(jī)
例句:
So, get yourself prepared, and don't miss the boat.
因此,你得好好準(zhǔn)備,可不要坐失良機(jī)。
除了miss the boat之外,boat還有哪些容易搞錯(cuò)的俚語?
rock the boat
rock除了名詞“巖石”以外,還可以做動(dòng)詞使用,表示“搖晃,搖動(dòng)”的意思,這樣的話,字面意思就變成了“搖晃船”。
比如:
Stop rocking the boat!You will turn it over!
別搖晃船了!你會把船翻掉的!
但是想想看,一艘小船或獨(dú)木舟,你要是大力搖晃,那可是會翻船的?。ock the boat還可以表示:搗亂,惹麻煩,破壞現(xiàn)狀。
例句:
She was told to keep her mouth shut and not rock the boat.
有人叫她閉嘴,不要招惹是非。
in the same boat
in the same boat的字面意思是:在同一條船上,有點(diǎn)像中文里的“同舟共濟(jì)”,但是“同舟”就一定“共濟(jì)”嗎?
查一下字典你會發(fā)現(xiàn)這個(gè)俚語的英文釋義是這樣的:to be in the same unpleasant situation as other people
中文意思就是:處境相同,面臨同樣的困境。
例句:
She's always complaining that she doesn't have enough money, but we're all in the same boat.
她總是抱怨自己的錢不夠用,可是我們的處境都一樣。
boat people
boat people是乘船的人嗎?再想一想為什么要乘船呢?其實(shí)它的意思是:乘船逃往他國的難民。
例句:
Turning boat people away would be an inhumane action.
不準(zhǔn)難民入境將是一種不人道的行為。