美國人經常掛在嘴邊的話

the last straw:忍無可忍

來源:大家都知道駱駝比較強壯,可以承擔很重的東西.但假如不斷往它背上加東西的話,到了一定程度就會達到它所能承受的飽和點,哪怕再多加一根稻草也會使它承受不了.所以,the last straw的意思是忍無可忍,終於使人不能忍受的最後一擊.

"All these years I've tried to be a good wife, even though you're lazy, you drink too much and half of the time don't even have a steady job. But when I find out you are spending money on another woman, that's the last straw! I want you out of my house right now and I never want to see you again."

“這些年來，儘管你比較懶，喝酒過度，還基本沒有固定的工作，但我一直盡力做一個賢惠的妻子。可是，當我發現你把錢花在另一個女人身上的時候，我忍無可忍。你給我馬上出去，我不想再見到你了。”

Never heard of such a thing!

Never heard of such a thing!這句口語很常用,意思是從沒聽說過這樣的事,真的假的,不會吧,表示驚訝和懷疑.

Joe: The tax office is now open on Sunday! 稅務所週日也上班.

Jenny: Never heard of such a thing! 不會吧,真的假的.

這句口語還可以說成I've never heard of such a thing!

I am not my brother's keeper:這事兒與我無關

I am not my brother's keeper.亦作Am I my brother's keeper? 在口語中可以理解爲:這不關我的事,這事兒與我無關,我又不是他的保姆,我怎麼會知道?

來源：這句習語來源中聖經中Cain和Abel的故.在Cain謀殺了他的兄弟Abel之後,上帝問他的兄弟在哪, Cain回答道, "I know not; am I my brother's keeper?"

這句習語在生活中很常用,如果有人問你某人在哪裏,你如果回答I am not my brother's keeper.或者Am I my brother's keeper?

意思是:"這不關我的事,這事兒與我無關,我又不是他的保姆,我怎麼會知道?" 這句話通常帶有不耐煩的語氣.

A: Where's Robert? 羅伯特哪裏去了?

B Am I my brother's keeper? 我怎麼會知道?

A: How could you let him run off like that? 你怎麼讓他跑掉了?

B: I'm not my brother's keeper. 這又不關我的事.

(I've) got to split.我該走了

Jane: Look at the time! Got to split. 看看時間,我該走了.

Mary: See you later, Jane. 再見

Bill: It's getting late. I've got to split. 要晚了,我該走了.

Sue: Okay, see you tomorrow. 好,明天見

Bill: Good night. 晚安

mix things up 換個新花樣,嘗試新鮮事物

mix things up可以理解爲換個新花樣,嘗試新鮮事物.

Rather than doing the same things, year after year, Santa likes to mix things up and try new ideas and new approaches.

聖誕老人不會年復一年地做同樣的事情,他喜歡有新花樣,嘗試新的點子和方法.

Let's try to mix things up today in our program.

今天我們嘗試着在我們的項目中換個新方法.

next to nothing:幾乎沒有,接近於零

She ate next to nothing at dinner.

晚飯時她幾乎什麼也沒吃.

No wonder she's ill. She eats next to nothing.

難怪她病了,她幾乎什麼都沒吃.

Her job's so cushy: she does next to nothing and earns a fortune.

她的工作真輕鬆:幾乎無所事事卻能掙大錢.

on the back burner 擱置,暫停,處於次要地位

on the back burner的意思是擱置,處於次要地位.由on the back burner的原意:擱在靠後的爐子上(靠邊站)引申而來.

She decided to attend Harvard, where she would study political theory and put her acting career on the back burner.

她決定到哈佛攻讀政治理論,暫時放下她的演藝事業.

Something urgent has come up, so we put your project on the back burner temporarily.

有緊急事件發生,所以我們把你的計劃暫時擱置.

One sandwich short of a picnic:腦袋少根筋,愚笨

One sandwich short of a picnic:意思是腦袋少根筋,愚笨.筆者也見過'two sandwiches short of a picnic'的說法,但意思都一樣rally used when telling someone they are really stupid.

類似'an X short of a Y'這樣的短語還有很多,都是同樣的意思,例如還可以說成one brick short of a load,a few fish short of a hatstand等等.

After talking to him for about 10 minutes I decided he was definitely one sandwich short of a picnic. 我和他談了10分鐘話,覺得他很笨(腦袋缺根筋).

You really are one sandwich short of a picnic aren't you! 你弱智啊?(慎用)

Tread carefully:多加小心,小心行事

知道了這個俚語的意思後,我們來看下面的例句:

The situation is very serious, tread carefully.

情況不妙,要多加小心.

If you decide to make the leap, tread carefully.

如果你決定大規模擴張公司海外市場,要格外小心.

in no time at all立刻,馬上的意思,形容時間短暫

I can't believe I finished my work so fast. It took no time at all .

我簡直不能相信我很快就完成工作了,幾乎毫不費力.

In no time at all they were standing there.

沒有多久,他們一起站在了那裏.

The wise boy thus gained a fine bag full of marbles in no time at all.

就這樣,聰明的男孩很快便有了一包美麗的大理石.

Patrick sympathized, and decided to try the horseradish himself. In no time at all he too was crying.

帕特里克很同情他,並且決定也親自嚐嚐辣根.隨即,他的眼淚也下來了.