英語口語練習小對話 第765期:保持高度警覺

Subject: I have to keep an ear to the ground.

迷你對話

A: Baby, what about having some beef or dinner?

寶貝兒，晚上吃牛肉，如何？

B: Oh, no. Mon, I am on a diet now. I have to keep my ears to the ground.

哦，不。我現在在減肥。我要時刻提醒自己啊。

地道表達

keep an ear to the ground

1. 解釋

Keep an ear to the ground的字面意思是“把耳朵保持貼在地上”， 比喻“保持高度警覺，及早發現那些即將會發生的事情的預兆”的意思。其英文解釋爲：to devote attention to watching or listening for clues as to what is going to happen。也可以用作have one’s ear to the ground或者是keep one’s ear to the ground。

2. 例句

e.g. John had his ear to the ground, hoping to find out about new ideas in computers.

John密切留意着，因爲他希望能發現關於計算機的新動態。

e.g. His boss told him to keep his ear to the ground so that he'd be the first to know of a new idea.

他的老闆叫他留意着，以便於他最先了解新動態。

e.g. Every two weeks while the Congress is in session, I try to get back home to California to talk to people. This doesn't give me much time to relax with my family, but I have to keep an ear to the ground and hear what voters are thinking about.

當國會舉行會議的時候我每兩個星期設法抽空回加州一次去和當地的人進行交談。我沒有多少時間可以和家人在一起，但是我得及時瞭解選民的想法。

e.g. I try to keep an ear to the ground and what I hear these days is that most people think we spend too much money on building roads and not enough on our schools.

我總是設法注意人們的想法。最近我聽說，大多數人認爲我們在築路方面花錢太多，而用在學校方面的錢卻不足。

咬文嚼字

1. have something for dinner的意思是“晚餐吃……”。“表示早餐吃……”可以套用這個短語爲：have something for breakfast，“表示中餐吃……，也可套用這個短語爲：have something on lunch。

2. on a diet是個介詞短語，意思是“在節食減肥”。這是一個介詞短語，使用時可以和系動詞be或者實意動詞go搭配使用做謂語。例如：

I'm forever on a diet, since I put on weight easily. 我永遠都在減肥，因爲我很容易長胖。

No sugar for me , please. I went on a diet. 請別給我加糖, 我現在正按照規定節食。