英文慣用語30句第四集(English Idioms Episode 4) PART II
慣用語往往短小精悍，富於哲理，具有較高的概括性和表達性，眾多學者、語言學家和文字工作者對其推崇備至。慣用語常常無處不在，其形式和意義的約定俗成和文字的風趣幽默大大增強了語言的生命力和表現力。
─摘自《英漢成語異同比較》作者 肖芬(Xiao Fen)老師，中國武漢，中南財經政法大學外語學院副教授。
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Content of English Idioms Episode VI PART II (15 Items)
01. A fool and his money are soon parted.
02. Bread/Best egg
03. Bring home the bacon.
04. Cheapskate.守財奴
05. Carrots and sticks
06. Golden handshake
07. Let’s go Dutch.
08. Money talks.
09. Money isn’t everything.
10. Penny-pinching. 守財奴
11. Penny wise, pound foolish.
12. To be/get out of the woods.脫離險境
13. To give someone a cold shoulder.
14. To make a slip of the tongue.
15. You can’t see the forest for the trees.見樹不見林
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01. to make a slip of the tongue：說溜了嘴
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a slip of the
tongue（口誤）
a slip of the
pen（筆誤）
have a slip 是指「犯錯」，與slip up 一樣，均等於 make a mistake
1. If you take my advice, you won’t slip up ever again.
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slip 是溜走，滑落。a slip of the tongue是指沒有經過思考，或無意中說錯了話 (say something
carelessly)。
1. Please don't get upset about what I have said. I just made a slip of the tongue.我所說的，請不要介意，我只是無意中說錯了話。
2. He should be more cautious; he has made another slip of the tongue. 他要格外小心才是；他又說錯了話。
1. Please don't get upset about what I have said. I just made a slip of the tongue.我所說的，請不要介意，我只是無意中說錯了話。
2. He should be more cautious; he has made another slip of the tongue. 他要格外小心才是；他又說錯了話。
3. A slip of the foot you may soon recover, but a slip of the tongue you may never get over.
圖1. 富蘭克林的名言。
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A Slip of Tongue—Hard To Tame多嘴的舌頭最難控制。
蠢人的心在他的嘴上，但智者的嘴在他的心裡。
不聽朋友的壞話，也不說任何敵人的壞話。─富蘭克林的名言 多說，多錯。─富蘭克林的名言 我既然不能支配自己的舌頭，就讓舌頭留在自己的牙齒內， 我又怎能希望支配別人的舌頭呢？ 失足可很快恢復，失言可能永難彌補。─富蘭克林的名言 The heart of a fool is in his mouth but the mouth of a wise man is in his heart. Hear no ill of a friend, nor speak any of an enemy." - Benjamin Franklin He that speaks much, is much mistaken. - Benjamin Franklin Since I cannot govern my own tongue, though within my own teeth. How can I hope to govern the tongues of others? A slip of the foot you may soon recover: but a slip of the tongue you may never get over. |
圖2. 真希望是如此！
至於「I should not have said that」意思是我真希望沒有說那些話，但已說了，沒辦法，只好感到抱歉了。另外，「I put my foot in my mouth」也是說錯話的意思。
02. to be/get out of the woods：脫離險境
02. to be/get out of the woods：脫離險境
如果有人 lost in the wood 當然是在困境中。所以out of woods是脫離困境。不過現在一般人也指較健康或較愉快。(feel better or healthier)
1. With regard to his financial situation, he is now getting out of the woods 他的財政情況，目前正在脫離困境。
2. After surgery, he is out of woods.他手術後已脫離險境
通常 woods 係用複數。
1. With regard to his financial situation, he is now getting out of the woods 他的財政情況，目前正在脫離困境。
2. After surgery, he is out of woods.他手術後已脫離險境
通常 woods 係用複數。
3. When you meet the
difficult danger, if he positive and warm-heartedness to
help you out of the woods, this is a
helpful friend.
4. The U.S. Center for Disease Control said, “We are not out of the woods
yet with the H1N1 swine flu.”
美國疾病管制局說,我們仍然沒有脫離新流行性感冒的危險。
5. The President warns that the nation’s economy is not out of the woods
and that people should still keep an eye on their personal finance.
總統警告說國家經濟仍然沒有脫離險境,大家對自己的財務狀況仍需注意。
圖3. to be/get out of
the woods：脫離險境
03. carrots and sticks 軟硬兼施
03. carrots and sticks 軟硬兼施
use both carrot and
stick＝use gentle
methods and force an iron hand in a velvet glove
1. Management dangled the carrot
of a possible raise before strikers, but at the same time waved the stick of losing
their pension benefits.
資方(管理階層)一邊用加薪引誘罷工員工,一邊威脅說他們會沒有退休金。
2. Using carrots
and sticks, Russia has tried to win over its ex-Soviet
neighbors, but they often have other ideas.
俄羅斯軟硬兼施想要前蘇聯時代的鄰國就範,但是這些國家卻有別的想法。
3. The trainer in the
circus uses a carrot-and-stick approach when training animals.
4. The government took
a carrot and stick approach to the
people who were illegally protesting against the construction of the dam.
5. Manchester's transport plan was part of a bid for a pot of government
money called the Transport Innovation Fund. This is an attempt to use, as
transport economists often describe them, both the carrot and the stick to keep
the roads free of congestion. Put simply, towns and cities are being offered
the carrot
of public transport investment, in return for simultaneously using the stick of
measures to encourage people to drive less. Many of Manchester's voters
rejected these proposals because they instinctively focused on the stick, rather
than the carrot.
英國曼徹斯特的運輸計畫是全國各地爭取政府運輸基金的縮影.英國政府試圖用經濟學家所說的軟硬兼施之計,來保持道路暢通.軟的是指中央會給各地方政府的投資,硬的則是要求地方政府拿出辦法叫人少開車. 不過曼徹斯特很多選民卻兩樣都不要,因為他們本能的反應是先注意到棍子而非胡蘿蔔。
圖4. carrots and sticks 軟硬兼施。
04. to give
(someone) the/a cold shoulder：
對他人冷淡、疏遠或輕視 (ignore someone
or pay no attention to someone)
Giving a cold shoulder
to someone means that you are treating them with disdain or an unwelcome
attitude.
在中世紀的歐洲人，對於歡迎的客人都是享以熱騰騰肉食熱情的款待，但對於不受歡迎的不速之客，則以幾天前吃剩而且冷餿餿不新鮮的羊肩膀肉( cold should of mutton)來對待，希望這些討厭的不速之客吃完了就趕快離開，藉此來顯示對其輕視與冷淡。慣用語出處原文參考如下：
The origin of this
expression which is often repeated is that visitors
to a house who were welcome were given a hot meal but those who weren't were offered only ' cold shoulder of mutton'. This
is repeated in several etymological texts, including Hendrickson's usually
reliable 'Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase
Origins'. There's no evidence
to support this view though and it appears to be an example of folk etymology.
1. After being his girlfriend for years, she finally has given him the (a) cold
shoulder. (當了他幾年的女友，她最後冷落疏遠他。)
2. Having given her a cold shoulder, Mr. A never contacts with her again.對她疏遠後，A先生不再與她來往了。
3. Pride has given Mr. Lee the cold shoulder to all assistance from his friends.由於高傲，李先生不願接受朋友的一切幫助。
2. Having given her a cold shoulder, Mr. A never contacts with her again.對她疏遠後，A先生不再與她來往了。
3. Pride has given Mr. Lee the cold shoulder to all assistance from his friends.由於高傲，李先生不願接受朋友的一切幫助。
4. I tried to be pleasant to her but she gave me the cold shoulder.
5. My girlfriend gave me a cold
shoulder after a huge fight.
另外You cold shoulder. 就表示你對人都不理不睬
the cold shoulder＝a show of intentional
unfriendliness; rejection
The new manager gave him the cold shoulder.
cold-shoulder someone＝reject or be deliberately unfriendly to someone
She was cold-shouldered by her boyfriend's mother.
05. You can't see the forest for the trees：
The new manager gave him the cold shoulder.
cold-shoulder someone＝reject or be deliberately unfriendly to someone
She was cold-shouldered by her boyfriend's mother.
05. You can't see the forest for the trees：
見樹不見林。
意思是如果你只看個體的樹，你就不會看到整片的森林。也就是說，假如太重視細節，就會忽略了整體大局，即所謂「見樹不見林」。 (You are so
involved in details that you may miss the overall situation；or you can't see the
whole picture because of many small details.)
1. On this matter, you do not consider the consequences；you can't see the forest for the trees.
1. On this matter, you do not consider the consequences；you can't see the forest for the trees.
關於這件事，你沒有考慮到後果；你真是「見樹不見林」。
2. They ignored the overall problems because they could not see the forest for the trees.他們忽略了整個大局，因為他們太重視細節了。
3. You can't see the forest for the trees.
2. They ignored the overall problems because they could not see the forest for the trees.他們忽略了整個大局，因為他們太重視細節了。
3. You can't see the forest for the trees.
Can't see the forest
for the trees 意思是只注重細節而忽略了重點，即所謂見樹不見林 (focus only on small detail and fail to understand major things)
4. When the opposition party leader
of Taiwan announced her China policy, she did not see the forest for the trees.
當台灣反對黨領導人宣布她的中國政策時，她只重細節而忽略大局。
5. Some people often cannot see the wood for the trees.
有些人經常見樹不見林。
6. The information presented in this textbook is so
disorganized that I can’t see the wood
for the trees.
這本教科書所提供的資訊雜亂無章，致使我見樹不見林。
7. The politician’s opponents claimed that she couldn’t see the forest for the trees,
because she spent so much time trying to solve minor problems.這位政治人物的對手宣稱，她見樹不見林，因為她花太多時間在解決不重要的問題上。
圖5. You can't see the
forest for the trees
見樹不見林。
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圖6. 有關錢(money)的慣用語。
圖6. 有關錢(money)的慣用語。
06. Bring home the
bacon
bring home the bacon至少有三種意思：一是「帶來佳績」；二是「養家活口」；三是「造福桑梓」。
Bring home the bacon，中文雖然直譯為帶些培根回家；意思是指外出掙錢帶回家裡，養家糊口。
2009年2月下旬，有人評論好萊塢男影星方基墨（Val Kilmer）。大意是說：1995年方基墨主演「蝙蝠俠3」《Batman Forever》時，堪稱是他演藝生涯的巔峰。但過了幾年以後，他就明顯走下坡了。評論者還提到說，好萊塢有這麼一個無形的規則：
1. If you are offered the chance to be a leading man, you have to bring home the bacon at the theatrical box office.
如果你有機會被指派當男主角，就必須在電影票房上帶來佳績。
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Tina: I saw Lily this morning. She told me that she was
exhausted. Peter: It’s really hard to be a single mother. Tina: You are right. Lily has to take care of three kids by herself. Peter: She has to work more than 18 hours everyday to bring home the bacon. Tina: Well, that’s life. 緹娜：我今天早上看見莉莉。 她告訴我她累壞了。 彼特：單親媽媽真是不好當呀！ 緹娜：你說的沒錯。 莉莉需要獨自照顧她三個小孩。 彼特：為了養家糊口，莉莉每天必須要工作十八個小時以上。 緹娜：生活就是如此。
本資料由中華綜合發展研究院全球英檢中心 甘怡然 提供
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2. The twins hope to bring home the bacon.
3. That was the
motivation to bring home the bacon.
4. I have to work hard to bring home the bacon
這句話裡頭的bring home the bacon是「維持家計」的意思。
不過如果像：After 6 months' hard work,
he finally brings home the
bacon. 這樣的句子，裡頭的bring home the bacon就是「獲致成功」的意思了，整句話的解釋是：「經過六個月的努力，他終於獲致成功了」。
07. Money talks有錢能使鬼推磨，金錢萬能
It is easier to accomplish goals using money.
Someone will always step forward if they think they will be rewarded; Money talks.
1. He hired the
best lawyers and won the case money talks.
他雇用了最好的律師並且贏得了訴訟，金錢會說話。
2. Money talks, that's for
sure. All the best seats were reserved for the big shots.
錢可通神，一點也不假。所有的好座位都留給了大人物。
圖7. 金錢萬能Money talks。
08. Penny-pinching吝嗇鬼或守財奴
連一分錢都要捏在手裡不放的人，當然就是吝嗇鬼或守財奴。
penny-pinching.這個片語的意思表示存錢，或形容不願意花錢的人。
1. I have to do some penny-pinching this month if I want
to buy that coat!
但是，在某種情況下，penny-pincher也會帶有積極的意思。
2. You know, with the
national debt getting so big, maybe we ought to elect some penny-pinchers to the Congress next time instead of these guys who
are so good at spending the taxpayers' money.
你知道，現在我們國家的預算赤字越來越大，也許我們應該下次選舉那些花錢手頭很緊的人去做議員，而不要選那種善於把老百姓繳納的稅錢大筆花掉的人。
3. Our family is really pinching
pennies these days trying to save money, Because my sister’s going into
medical school and the tuition is $24,000 a year.
我們家這些日子真是省吃儉用，想法省點錢，因為我的姐姐要上醫學院，每年的學費就要兩萬四千美元。
09. Cheapskate守財奴,吝嗇鬼
Cheapskate是指一個人，每當他不得不花一點錢的時候，他總是盡量省錢,買的東西越便宜越好。這種人往往不受人歡迎，尤其會使他們的女朋友反感。
1. My brother Dick is a smart, good-looking guy. But none of my friends
want to go out with him because he's such a cheapskate. His idea of showing a girl a good time is to take her
to MacDonald's for a hamburger and then to the zoo because admission is
free."
我的弟弟迪克是一個很聰明，長的也很帥的人。但是，我的朋友當中沒有一個人愿意和他一起出去玩，因為他是個吝嗇鬼。他把女朋友帶到麥當勞去吃漢堡包，然後到動物園去，因為不要門票。可是，他認為這樣玩就很不錯了。
2. Don't be such a cheapskate! 別當個小氣鬼！
3. It's boring to go out to dinner with a cheapskate.
和小氣鬼一起出門吃飯真沒意思。
4. That
cheapskate took his date to a cafeteria.
那個小氣鬼居然把女友帶到自助餐館約會。
5. I'm not surprised. He's known as a cheapskate.
我一點也不驚訝，他是有名的小氣鬼。
6. How can they expect us to do business with them
after being such cheapskate?
這麼一個小氣鬼，他們還期望我們和他們做生意呀？
7. I know my son thinks I'm a cheapskate
because I won't buy him a motorcycle. But he doesn't realize I don't have much
money left after I pay the rent and all the other bills. Any money left over I
have to save to pay his way to college next year.
我知道我的兒子認為我很小氣，因為我不給他買摩托車。但是，他不知道，我付了房租和其他的bills後沒有多少錢剩下了。剩下的那點錢我也得存起來為他明年上大學作準備。
Penny-pincher和cheapskate都是指花錢很小心的人。但是penny-pincher也可能是很簡樸的人，有時具有一定的積極意義。Cheapskate似乎比penny-pincher更含有貶義。
10. Money isn't
everything
The best things in life are free.一個類似的諺語是Money isn't everything，換句話說金錢在生命中無法買最重要的東西，如愛情、友誼或健康。
1. Money isn't everything.金錢不是一切。
2. Money isn't everything but without money you have nothing.
2. Money isn't everything but without money you have nothing.
錢不是萬能的，沒錢是萬萬不能的。
3. Money isn't
the be-all and end-all
you know.
你知道，錢不是主要目的。
11. Penny wise, pound foolish. 小事聰明大事糊塗
這句成語描述一個人在花小錢的時候非常斤斤計較，但是當碰到金額很大的時候反而不在意。
1. Dick's heart trouble became
worse because he wouldn't spend money to see a doctor at the beginning; he was
indeed penny wise and pound foolish.
迪克一開始捨不得花錢去看醫生，如果，他的心臟病日趨嚴重。這真是貪小失大，得不償失。
2. Mr. Brown bought a cheap
truck to make money, but it was too old for long-distance transportation. He
was penny wise and pound foolish.
布朗先生為省錢買了一輛便宜卡車，但車太舊了不能搞長途運輸，他丟了西瓜揀了芝麻。
12. A fool and his money are soon parted.
這句諺語提醒我們，愚蠢的人不知道如何省錢！
1. A fool and his money are soon
parted笨蛋難聚財。
2. Tom spends all his money for candy. A fool
and his money are soon parted.
湯姆把錢都拿去買了糖果;蠢人有錢留不住.
3. A fool and his words are
soon parted, a much of genius and his money.
愚人會很快忘記說過的話,
智者會很快放棄手裡的錢.
4. Frank relishes his extravagant
lifestyle – but then a fool and his money
are soon parted.
法蘭克喜愛奢侈的生活方式，但他的錢很快就花光了。
13. Golden handshake大筆退休金、遣散費、退職金
13. Golden handshake大筆退休金、遣散費、退職金
A golden handshake is a large sum of money that a company gives to
an employee when he or she leaves, as a reward for long service or good work.
1. The directors will each get a
large golden handshake and a
pension.
所有的經理都會得到豐厚的退職金和養老費。
2. I got the option to take a golden handshake.
我被告知去領遣散費。
3. The reward for dismissal is a golden handshake.
解雇的犒賞就是遣散費。
4. Henry ' s company asked him to
retire early but he was able to pay off his mortgage with the golden handshake
they gave him
亨利的公司要他提前退休，不過他能夠用他們付給他的退職金歸還抵押款。
亨利的公司要他提前退休，不過他能夠用他們付給他的退職金歸還抵押款。
圖8. Golden handshake大筆退休金。
14. Bread/Nest egg為養老,應變等用的儲蓄
bread, 指錢。另一個是 nest egg, 是存下來的錢。
1. Well, with
the Christmas holidays coming up, there will be many opportunities for you to
earn some bread.
是啊，快過節了，很多商店都需要人手，找份活兒應該不難。
2. I wouldn't think
so, but if you do have trouble, I can always loan you some bread.
3. Well, as I
understand it, a "nest egg" was
originally a fake
egg placed in a nest to attract
birds to lay more eggs. By putting aside money as a nest egg, you hope it will grow and make more money.
噢，我明白了，窩裡的蛋原來指的是假蛋，放在那裡騙家禽多生蛋的，用來指錢，就好像是中文裡說的錢生錢的意思，放在銀行定期存款裡就是個辦法。
4. Feather one's nest; have a nest egg. 積累資金；積累應變用的儲蓄。
5. The money you saved up is a nest egg. 你儲備的錢就成了儲備金。
6. He did not even build up a nest egg. 他甚至沒有建立一個帳戶。
7. Too often I have seen unsophisticated investors
put their large nest egg into one
deal and lose most of it rapidly. They may have been good workers but they were
not good investors.
我見到過太多的不老練的投資者將自己大量的資本投入一項交易，然後很快損失掉其中的大部分，他們可能是好的職員卻不是好的投資者。
8. By retirement they had saved up quite a nest egg.
在退休前，他們已經存了相當的本錢了。
9. Throw away one's future nest egg on.指把未來的積蓄都投入。
10. They squandered their little nest-egg.
他們揮霍掉了他們的一點點存款。
圖9. Nest egg為養老,應變等用的儲蓄。
15. go Dutch
Dutch是指荷蘭人、荷蘭語或荷蘭的。那為什麼是荷蘭人呢？這要追溯到十七、八世紀。那時候，英國與荷蘭正為了海上的商業競爭而開戰，英國人對荷蘭人不滿，於是在語文裡把Dutch這個字貶低，所以幾乎有Dutch的片語都有輕蔑負面的意味。
最常說的就是go Dutch了，意思是各付各的，是在影射荷蘭人小氣，不願意請客。
If you go Dutch in a
restaurant, you pay equal shares for the meal.
1. How about dinner tonight? We’ll go Dutch, okay?
今晚上一起吃飯怎麼樣？咱們各付各的,好嗎？
2. Do not she realize we are both students? We shall go Dutch.
她不知道我們倆都是學生嗎?我們應該各付各的。
她不知道我們倆都是學生嗎?我們應該各付各的。
3. So do I. She likes to go Dutch. 我也是。因為她喜歡各付各的。
4. Let's go
Dutch this time. 這次我們各付各的吧。
5. Let me pay my share=Let's go Dutch我們各付各的。
6. She was surprised when he suggested they go Dutch.
當他建議各付各的帳時,她很吃驚。
當他建議各付各的帳時,她很吃驚。
7. I' d love to go , but I insist we go Dutch
我很願意去，但我堅持我們各付各的。
8. Please don ' t . I think we had better go Dutch
請不要，我想我們最好各付各的。
圖10. go Dutch各付各的。
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