zhangyl 发表于 2007-8-8 07:19:32

Man and wife/结发夫妻[实用短语跟贴]

Man and wife

  结为夫妻

  【精解】

  不知大家平时有没有注意过,西方人,尤其是英国人在举行婚礼的时候,牧师总是说:“I now pronounce you man and wife.”(我现在宣布你们两人结为夫妻)。

  那么牧师为什么不说husband and wife或者man and woman,而说man and wife呢?

  这个问题不太容易回答清楚,只能说是“约定俗成”的。公元十一世纪以来,婚礼上一直说man and wife,当时的man的一个词义是“丈夫”,而husband的意思是“农夫”。Husbandry这个词到现在还保留着“耕作”的意思。几百年来, man和husband的词义早就发生了变化,而婚礼上的习俗却没有变。因此,man and wife也就随之成为固定的成对词。

zhangyl 发表于 2007-8-8 07:19:52

回复: Man and wife/结发夫妻[实用短语跟贴]

A lame duck

  处于困境无法自理的人、组织或事物

  【世博精解】

  a lame duck从字面意思上理解是“一只瘸腿的鸭子”。Lame means unable to walk normally because of an injury or defect,瘸的,跛的。

  其实它还隐含着另外一层意思:It refers to a person, organization or thing that is in difficulties and unable to manage government without help,表示处于困境无法自理的人、组织或事物。

  我们来看例句:

  The government should not waste money supporting lame duck.

  政府不应浪费资金去扶持那些无望的企业。

  Lame duck also means elected official in his final period of office,(任期将满的)官员。例如:a lame duck President,即将卸任的总统。

zhangyl 发表于 2007-8-8 07:20:17

回复: Man and wife/结发夫妻[实用短语跟贴]

Scratch card

  刮刮乐,刮刮卡

  【精解】

  如今有奖刮卡之类的活动越来越多,这不,上海前几天还推出一个餐饮发票有奖刮卡活动。可惜的是,我从来没有中过奖。

  开个小小的玩笑,言归正传,我们今天主要就是来学习“刮刮卡”的英语表达。

  Scratch card, card partly or wholly covered with a thick waxy coating. When this is scratched away a symbol is revealed indicating whether or not a prize has been won in a competition.刮刮乐,刮刮卡(部分或全部涂上一层厚蜡的卡片,根据刮掉蜡后显露的图案判断是否中奖)。

  如:a winning symbol on the scratch card,刮刮乐上的中奖图案。

  突然又听一个商贩叫到:

  Scratch cards! Win instant prizes!快买刮刮乐,即刮即中!

zhangyl 发表于 2007-8-8 07:20:33

回复: Man and wife/结发夫妻[实用短语跟贴]

Hand-me-downs

  旧东西

  【精解】

  hand-me-downs means used or unwanted things (especially clothes) that are given to another person, especially a younger brother or sister,某人用旧的或不要的而传给他人的东西(尤指留给弟弟妹妹用的衣物)。

  Hand-me-downs also can be called reach-me-downs.

  例句:

  I don't want your old hand-me downs!

  我不要你那些用过了的旧东西。

zhangyl 发表于 2007-8-8 07:20:51

回复: Man and wife/结发夫妻[实用短语跟贴]

know the ropes

  熟悉内幕;懂得诀窍

  【精解】

  know the ropes means explain to somebody know the procedures or rules for doing something,向某人解释/弄清楚做某事的程序或规则。

  我们也可以说:show somebody / learn the ropes,同样也表示熟悉内幕。

  我们来看例句:

  She's just started-it'll take her a week or two to learn the ropes.

  她是新手―要用一两个星期的时间熟悉情况。

  He knows the ropes.

  他知道其中的规矩。
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