北美生存常用英语
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北美生存常用英语
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北美生存常用英语
你曾经因为一字之差而闹笑话吗?有哪些字是你刻骨铭心的惨痛经验?你觉得有哪些关键字汇让你顿足捶胸,或茅塞顿开?
当考路的考官说“pull over”时,你是否会不知所措?有人邀请你参加“Potluck Party”时,你会不会空手赴宴?在速食店里,店员问“for here or to go?”你是否会丈二金刚摸不着头脑,莫名其妙?“Give me a ring!”可不是用来求婚的“Drop me a line!”更非要你排队站好。老美说“Hi!What’s up!”你可别说“I am fine!”
你曾经闹过这些笑话吗?让我们来看看,这些字,你怎麽说?
Potluck Party:一种聚餐方式,主人准备场地和餐具,参加的人必须带一道菜或准备饮料,最好事先问问主人的意思。
Pull over!把车子开到旁边。
Drop me a line!写封信给我。
Give me a ring = Call me!来个电话吧!
For here or to go?堂食或外卖。
Cool:That’s cool! 等於台湾年轻人常用的囗语“酷!”,表示不赖嘛!用于人或事均可。
What’s up? = What’s happening?=What’s new? 见面时随囗问候的话“最近在忙什么?有什么新鲜事吗?”一般的回答是“Nothing much!”或“Nothing new!”
Cut it out! = Knock it out!= Stop it! 少来这一套!同学之间开玩笑的话。
Don’t give me a hard time! 别跟我过不去好不好!
Get yourself together! 振作点行不行!
Do you have "the" time? 现在几点钟?可别误以为人家要约你出去。
Hang in there. = Don’t give up. = Keep trying. 再撑一下。
Give me a break! 你饶了我吧!(开玩笑的话)
Hang on. 请稍候。
Blow it. = Screw up. 搞砸了。
What a big hassle. 真是个麻烦事。
What a crummy day. 多倒霉的一天。
Go for it. 加油
You bet. = Of course. 当然;看我的!
Wishful thinking. 一厢情愿的想法。
Don’t be so fussy! 别那么挑剔好不好。
It’s a long story. 唉!说来话长。
How have you been? = How are you doing? 你过得如何?近来可好?
Take things for granted. 自以为理所当然。
Don’t put on airs. 别摆架子。
Give me a lift! = Give me a ride! 送我一程吧!
Have a crush on someone. 迷恋某人
What’s the catch? 有什么内幕?
Party animal. 开Party狂的人(喜欢参加舞会的人)
Pain in the neck. =Pain in the ass. 眼中钉,肉中刺。
Skeleton in the closet. 家丑
Don’t get on my nerve! 别把我惹毛了!
A fat chance. =A poor chance. 机会很小
I am racking my brains. 我正在绞尽脑
She’s a real drag. 她真有点碍手碍脚
Spacingout = daydreaming. 做白日梦
I am so fed up. 我受够了!
It doesn’t go with your dress. 跟你的衣服不配。
What’s the point? = What are you trying to say? 你的重点是什么?
By all means = Definitely. 一定是。
Let’s get a bite. = Let’s go eat. 去吃点东西吧!
I’ll buy you a lunch (a drink; a dinner). = It’s on me. = My treat. 我请客
Let’s go Dutch. 各付各的
My stomach is upset. 我的胃不舒服
diarrhea 拉肚子
吃牛排时,waiter会问“How would you like it?”就是问“要几分熟”的意思,可以选择rare,medium或 well-done。
I am under the weather. =I am not feeling well. 我不太舒服!
May I take a rain check? 可不可改到下次?(例如有人请你吃饭,你不能赴约,只好请他改到下一次。)
I am not myself today. 我今天什么都不对劲!
Let’s get it straight. 咱们把事情弄清楚!
What’s the rush! 急什么!
Such a fruitcake! 神经病!
I’ll swing by later. =I’ll stop by later. 待会儿,我会来转一下。
I got the tip straight from the horse’s mouth. 这个消息是千真万确的(tip指消息)!
easy as pie = very easy = piece of cake 很容易。
flunk out 被当掉
take French leave 不告而别
I don’t get the picture. =I don’t understand. 我不明白。
You should give him a piece of your mind. 你应该向他表达你的不满。
hit the road = take off = get on one’s way 离开。
Now he is in the driver’s seat =He is in control now.
Keep a low profile (or low key). 采取低姿态。
Kinky =bizarre =wacky =weird 古怪的。
klutz (=clutz) =idiot 白痴、笨蛋。
know one’s way around 识途老马。
lion’s share 大部份。
tailgate 尾随(尤其跟车跟得太近)。
take a back seat. 让步。
take a hike =leave me alone =get lost 滚开。
hit the hay =go to bed 睡觉。
Can you give me a lift? =Can you give me a ride? 载我一程好吗?
green hand 生手、没有经验的人。
moonshine = mountain dew 指私酿的烈酒(威士忌)或走私的酒。胡说八道也可用moonshine。His story is plain moonshine.
chill out =calm down =relax(来自黑人英语)
rip off =steal:I was ripped off. 我被偷了;rip off 也常被用为“剥夺”My right was ripped off. 权利被剥夺(来自黑人英语)。
我们称美国大兵为G.I. (Government Issue) or GI Joe, 德国兵或德国佬为 Fritzor Kraut,称英国佬为John Bull,日本人为Jap.或Nip,犹太人为Jew都是 很不礼貌的称呼。
mess around (with)瞎混;Get to work. Don’t mess around. 赶快工作,别瞎搅和。
snob 势利眼
sneak in, sneak out 偷偷溜进去,溜出来 sneakers 运动鞋
She is such a brown-nose. 她是个马屁精。
This is in way over my head. 对我而言这实在太难了。
I am an exam jitter and I always get a cramp in my stomach. 我是个考试紧张大师,一考试胃就抽筋。
Keep your study (work) on track. 请按进度读书(工作)。
Did you come up with any ideas? 有没有想到什麽新的意见?
Don’t get uptight! Take it easy. 别紧张,慢慢来!
Cheese! It tastes like cardboard. 天哪,吃起来味如嚼腊!
Get one’s feet wet. 与中文里的“涉足”或“下海”,寓意相同,表示初尝某事。I am going to try dancing for the very first time. Just to get my feet wet.
美国总统到底是比尔·克林顿还是威廉·克林顿?吉米·卡特和詹姆斯·卡特是否同一人?根据语言学家William Safire的分析,美国多数政客都喜欢使用昵名代替他们原来的名字,如Bill就是William的昵称,Jimmy等于James等。
out of juice 车没电了
out of gas 车没汽油了 (oil是机油的意思, 不是汽油)
one minute = one second = hold on for a second 打电话时让别人稍等一下
bless you = God bless you 别人打喷嚏时, 他应该说excuse me, 你说bless you, 他说 thank you, 你愿意的话继续说 welcome
部分国家和城市的雅称
Athens (雅典):The City Of Jasmines (茉莉花城)
Berne (伯尔尼):The City Of Clocks And Watches (钟表城)
Brazil (巴西):The Country Of Coffee (咖啡国)
Canada (加拿大):The Country Of Maple Leaves (枫叶国)
Ecuador (厄瓜多尔):The Equatorial Country (赤道国)(由于赤道横贯厄瓜多尔国境,再加上在西班牙文中"厄瓜多尔"的意思就是“赤道”,因此厄瓜多尔拥有“赤道国”的雅称。)
Egypt (埃及):The Country Of The Pyramids (金字塔国)
Ethiopia (埃塞俄比亚):The Barefoot Country (赤足国)
Ghana (加纳):The Country Of Cocoa (可可国)
Cuba (古巴):The Country Of Sugarcane (甘蔗国)
Japan (日本):The Country Of Cherries (樱花国)
Jerusalem (耶路撒冷):The Holy City (圣城)
Lima (利马):The City Of Drought (干旱城)
London (伦敦):The City Of Fog (雾都)
Lusaka (卢莎卡):The City Of Copper (铜城)
Malaysia (马来西亚):The Rubber Country (橡胶国)
Mexico (墨西哥):The Cactus Country (仙人掌国)
Mexico City (墨西哥城):The City Of Frescoes (壁画之都)(墨西哥城,以画迷人,素有“壁画之都”之称。)
New York (纽约):Big Apple (大苹果城)
Panama (巴拿马):The Butterfly Country(蝴蝶国)
Singapore (新加坡):The Country Of Gardens (花园国)
Tunisia (突尼斯):The Olive Country (橄榄国)
Venice (威尼斯):The City Of Water (水城)
Washington(华盛顿):The City Of Snow (雪城)
Wellington (惠灵顿):The City Of Wind (风城)
Bulgaria(保加利亚):The Country of Roses(玫瑰之国)
Vienna(维也纳):The City of Music(音乐之都)
Pagan(缅甸蒲甘城):The Temple City(寺庙之城)
如何和美国人保持“距离”?
Body distance varies from culture to culture. In some cultures, it is quite normal for people to stand close together. While Americans talk about invasion of their space.
身体的接触距离,预示着人与人关系的亲近度,及人和人之间亲近到了什么程度。美国人很注重这种身体上的接触距离,如果站得距离不得当,美国人会认为你侵犯了他们的隐私空间范围。下图揭示了四种距离,这些距离在老美眼里代表什么呢?
1 intimate distance: ranging from direct contact to about 45 cm, which applies to the closest relationships such as husband and wife
2 personal distance: ranging from 45 to 80 cm, which is usually maintained for conversations between friends and relatives
3 social distance: ranging from 1.3 to 2 metres, which covers people who work together or are meeting at social gatherings
4 public distance: which is beyond social distance, such as that kept between a lecturer and his audience
可见,老美把人与人间的距离划归为四类: intimate, personal, social and public。
Body distance varies from culture to culture. 典型的例子就是美国人和阿拉伯人之间的差异。Arabs tend to maintain a closer physical distance between individuals than Americans.
The desert conditions have driven the Arabs into cities where they get used to living in crowds. Because of the high population density, pushing and shoving is unavoidable in public places and people have already grown accustomed to it. Public is public: no one has the right to demand a private zone around himself as a European or American does . So it is quite natural that people do not have any concept of a private zone outside the body . The emotional closeness of the Arabs means people are deeply involved with each other and do not like to be alone. As for face-to-face communication, the distance between two persons can be so close that both can smell eahand in handch other. This is not something unpleasant, but a way of showing involvement .地理环境潜移默化地影响着阿拉伯国家的文化。 恶劣的生存环境致使大批阿拉伯人涌入城市。习惯了拥挤喧嚣,人与人的亲密无间令他们感到踏实舒心,这一点上阿拉伯文化同欧美文化是截然相反的。
有趣的是, 即便是同一个国家,不同年代的人身体接触的距离也是有差别的。比如英国的年轻人就比老人拥抱朋友的次数多。
许多英语说法都和"arm", "hand" and "finger" 有关,下面就为大家介绍一些。其中有些用法一看就能明白它们的意思,比如 "keep somebody at arm's length" 和 "hand in hand"。然而,有些说法却可能是你想不通的。没关系,我们会告诉你答案。