课堂里学不到的英语

2007/01/27 08:34 ..by zhanghongbiao

call one's machine

通常对话中，人们习惯将“电话答录机”直接简称为“machine”。如果听到这个词组，那肯定是让你打电话并留言。相关的用法还有"check one's machine".

A: I'm afrand Mary is not home now. But you can call her machine.
B: All right. I will leave her a message.
A: I'm sure she will call you back as soon as she checks her machine.
B: I hopo so.

clock-watcher

这个短语比较形象，用来形容有些学生如果对某门课程不赶兴趣，就会频频看表，希望老师能够早点下课；或者有些人在上班时间频频看表盼望早点下班。

A: Hi, Edgar, I didn't expect to meet you here. To practice your typing skill?
B: Why? I often come here.
A: Susan told me that you were supposed to have a chemistry class this afternoon.
B: That is true. But you know I am a clock-watcher in the chemistry class so I quit the class one hour earlier.

close the circuit Vs. open the circuit

在英语里的“打开电源”和“关掉电源”分别是“open the circuit”和“close the circuit”，这是因为我们所说的“开、关”是针对电流的，而他们所说的“开、关”则是针对电路而言的。也就是说，如果连好的电路被打开了，电流就不能接通了。注意，用turn on 和turn off来表示接通和断开也是很不错的。

A: Docker, would you close the circuit? I want to fix my TV set.
B: I think you need to open the circuit.
A: Yes. I almost forgot.

cook the books
这是“做假帐”的意思。英语里习语的适当使用会使得交谈或协作变得趣味横生。

A: Hi, Kenkel. I was told that your brother quit his job again.
B: Yes. In fact it is his boss who fired him.
A: Why? He is such a diligent clerk.
B: Because the boss knew his inglorious history. He was once dismissed for cooking the books.

cool one's heels
这一个习语的意思是，等的时间很长，脚后跟都等得发凉了。

A: Finally you've appeared!
B: I am sorry for being late.
A: I have cooled my heels waiting for you. You see I have waited for nearly two hours.
B: I know but something urgent happened.
A: So we just have to cancel the film.
B: But we can do someting more interesting.

cost someone an arm and a leg
诙谐用语。意会吧~`

A: Your new car is really wonderful.
B: It should be. It costs me an arm and a leg.
A: I can imagine that. No wonder you are quite tight these days.

cover
在英语口语中，人们常用它来表示“入场费，入会费”。

A: What a nice book!
B: Thanks. I joined a reader's club, and the club hands out books like this regularly.
A: How much is the cover?
B: 10 dollars for a year, and you just have to fill out a few forms and you get your membership.

dirty look
它指的是脸色难看的意思，也就是说心情不好。比如：People have dirty looks on their faces for the traffic jam.

A: Have you seen Jack? I want to borrow his lap computer.
B: You'd better not. He's got dirty look in his face today.
A: Really? Then I'd better ask somebody else.
B: If you like, you could use mine.

down in the mouth
我们经常使用“in no mood to do sth.”来表达“无意做某事”的含义，而在生活中要表达这种意思，地道的短语是“down in the mouth”或“down in the dumps”.

A: Guess what! I spent the whole weekend working on that chemistry assignment.
B: Don't tell me. I an feeling down in the mouth about that.
A: But I have to inform you the work is due tomorrow.
B: Oh, no, I will miss the football game tonight. I don't know why Mr. Zhao assigns us so much work to do.

eat one's heart out
我们知道cry one's eyes out是痛哭的意思；这里的eat one's heart out 是“苦恼、憔悴、忧虑过度”的意思。比如：He was eating his heart out because he might be fired by his boss.

A: You don't look well.
B: That's for sure, 'cause I'm eating my heart out.
A: Why? What bothers you so much?

egg-sucher
这不是说一个喜欢“suck eggs”的人。这个俚语的意思是，\"a person who likes flattering others".

A: Do you hear John will be the manager of the product department?
B: What? This is his third promotion in this month.
A: They say he is a good hand.
B: Good hand? He even doesn't know how to tighten a screw. He's only an egg-sucker.
A: Really? I can hardly believe it.

egghead
对于有些词如果从中文的习惯去理解，很容易释为完全相反的意思。这个单词的意思是：有知识，受过高等教育的人。

A: I can't believe it! This math problem has puzzled me for hours, and you solved it in five minutes. You are a real egghead.
B: If you have not been stuck here, you can solve it too. Try some other methods next time.

expect
除了“期待，指望”的意思外，expect还表示一种客观的可能性，可以表示“想象，认为”。

A: I heard only one student in our class failed the physics exam. Do you know who it is?
B: I expect it's Jack.
A: Why do you think it's him?
B: Because he seldom attended the class.

face the music

make beautiful music together的意思是“幸福和谐的一对儿”，但是face the musice 却是一个很不好的词组，它的意思就是有什么不好的事情要发生了，而你又不得不接受它。如果有人对你说：You are facing the music.就是在告诉你已经大豁临头了。而如果你听到别人说这个句子，至少也应该说个sorry to hear that.

A: I suppose I will face the music when this semester ends.
B: Sorry to hear that. Why do you have such feeling?
A: I have a nightmare every night.
B: Hey, take it easy. There's nothing serious.

figure
真正掌握一个单词实非易事，因为一个单词可能有很多意义，在不同的场合可能有不同的结实。如figure单数时一般理解为“身材”，而复数时则为“数字或图表”。又因为在数学中“round figure”表示整数，然而作单数用的“figure”，使这个短语可以理解为“身材浑圆”。显然女孩子都不喜欢听到这样的形容。
先看失败的对话：
A: Have you checked all the figures?
B: Yes. You have a round figure, but I don't.
A: What? You shouldn't tease me like that! I know what I look like.

正确的话可以这么说：
A: Have you checked all the figures?
B: Yes. But the result we get is a little different. See here, yours is a round number, but mine is not.
B: Let me check it again. I may have made some mistakes in the calculation.

for a song
这个习语的意思是“买得很便宜”。

A: Hey, what's up?
B: Oh, didn't you hear about my new car?
B: No kidding, a new car? How much is it?
A: I bought it for a song!
B: How come you're always so lucky?
A: That's the way things are!

for the apparent reason

apparent的基本意义是“明显的，显然的”，但是在这种场合下，我们应理解为“从表面看来，表面上是”，所以还应该有更深一层的原因存在。我们可以对比下面的句子以更利于理解：

1. She married that old millionaire for the apparent reason that she had a thirst for money. （表面原因）
2.It's apparent that she married that old millionaire for the reason that she had a thirst for money.（显然）

A: I heard Jack and Rose have broken up.
B: Yes. They broke up for the apparent reason that Rose had too many boyfriends at a time.
B: So what's the real reason?
A: Actually, they've never been serious with each other.