BEC高級口試指導(dǎo):最新美語流行語手冊(九)

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41.be on a gravy train 走運,有賺錢的機會
    gravy在美國口語中有“容易賺得的利潤”的意思,gravy train意即“輕易發(fā)大財?shù)墓ぷ鳌?。該習語直譯為“在一輛容易賺錢的火車上”,所以引申為“走運,有賺錢的機會”。
    A: John seems to be on the gravy train these days. 約翰最近看起來很走運。
    B: Yeah. He got a chance of going abroad to arrange an exhibition. 是啊。他得到了一個出國去辦展覽的機會。
    A: I don’t know why the sun is not shining on me. 我不明白為什么我的運氣總是不佳。
    B: Don’t worry. You’ll be in the chips sooner or later. 別著急,總有一天你也會很富裕的。
    42.be on cloud nine 高興得飄飄然
    該習語原為美國氣象用語。該習語的流行據(jù)說應(yīng)歸功于50年代播放的一個名叫《約翰尼•多拉爾》的廣播節(jié)目。Be on cloud nine的字面意思是“坐早九重云霄之上”,引申為“高興得不得了”或“飄飄然”。例如:He was on cloud nine after winning the competition. (他在比賽勝利后欣喜若狂。)
    A: You seem to be on cloud nine these days. How is your restaurant business? 你近來有些高興得飄飄然。餐館的生意怎么樣?
    B: How is my business? It’s none of your business! 我的生意怎么樣?這不關(guān)你的事。
    A: It’s rude of you to talk to me like this. 你這樣跟我說話太粗魯了。
    B: I was only teasing you. You see, we have our clients eating out of our hands now. Both Mark and I are feeling on the top of the world. 我只是在逗你玩兒。你看,我們現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)有了許多回頭客了。馬克和我都感到非常高興。
    43.be on pins and needles 坐立不安
    pins指“大頭針”,needles指“針”,be on pins and needles的字面意思是“如坐在大頭針和針上”,喻為“坐臥不安”或“如坐針氈”。
    A: It seems you’re on pins and needles today. Anything troubling you? 你今天似乎坐立不安。有什么事嗎?
    B: Yeah. I don’t know why bad things keep happening to me. You see, my car was stolen and the warehouse had been broken into. I can’t put my finger on the causes of this damned thing. 是的。我不知道壞事為什么總是找上我。你看,我的汽車被偷了,貨倉也被盜了。我弄不明白怎么會發(fā)生這些倒霉事。
    A: There must be someone who had planned that. He threatened to show you the color when you refused to give him a promotion. 也許這是有人精心策劃的。因為你沒有提升他,他要給你點顏色看看。
    44.be over the hump 已度過難關(guān)
    hump的本義是“小丘,山脈”,over the hump直譯為“越過山脈”,引申為“度過難關(guān)”。
    A: The Asian financial crises have almost paralyzed Asian economy. 亞洲金融危機幾乎使亞洲經(jīng)濟癱瘓。
    B: Your company must be influenced by it deeply. 你們的公司肯定也很受影響吧
    A: Yeah. But we are over the hump now. 是的。但我們現(xiàn)在我們已經(jīng)渡過了難關(guān)。
    45.be saddled with 把任務(wù)或責任強加在某人身上
    saddle在這兒作動詞,意為“使負擔,強加”,saddle sb. with sth. 意為“為某人負重擔”,因此該習語意為“把任務(wù)強加予某人”。例如:I can’t be saddled with any more responsibilities.(我再也不能承擔更多的任務(wù)了。)
    A: How is George recently? 最近喬治怎么樣?
    B: Not very good. I hear that he is saddled with debts of his company. 不太好。我聽說他的公司現(xiàn)在債務(wù)纏身。
    A: What happened? 怎么回事?
    B: It’s said that he was cheated by his partner. 據(jù)說是他的合伙人把他給騙啦。