VOA流行美語 Unit 287:born yesterday; head over heels..

李華和Larry討論情人節的安排。今天我們要學兩個常用語：born yesterday和head over heels.

LL: So, Lihua, I know you said that you didn't want me to buy a Valentine's Day gift for you, but I wasn't born yesterday. I can tell you're expecting something romantic.

LH: 我情人節唯一的願望就是能跟你一起渡過！我們可以一起做晚飯，然後去看電影。你剛纔說自己wasn't born yesterday是什麼意思啊？

LL: Saying someone was born yesterday, means that they are very easy to fool. I said that I wasn't "born yesterday" because you can't fool me.

LH: 我知道了，說什麼人was born yesterday意思就是說這個人容易受騙，有點象中文裏說的“三歲小孩。”

LL: That's right. Even though you won't admit it, I think you would love to receive some flowers or chocolates for Valentine's Day.

LH: 你心真細！不過，我確實不想要什麼禮物，跟你在一起就足夠了。不過你別生氣，我可不是說你傻。

LL: No, you didn't call me foolish. In the US, stating that you "weren't born yesterday" is a way to joke around with friends. If you say that you "weren't born yesterday," you're expressing that you aren't gullible.

LH: 我明白了，you said you weren't born yesterday ，是因爲你覺得我肯定想要你送情人節禮物給我。

LL: We both know I wasn't really born yesterday. What I meant was that I have known you for so long that I can tell you are looking forward to a romantic Valentine's Day gift.

LH: 你可真夠固執的。那你說，born yesterday什麼時候纔會帶有貶義呢？

LL: If you are speaking with someone, for example one of your students, who don't know who Zhang Ziyi is, and you say 'Were you born yesterday? She's a famous Chinese movie star!

LH: 那別人肯定會不高興。這就等於是說，你怎麼連這都不知道！

LL: That's right. Asking someone if they were "born yesterday" implies that they misunderstood a subject that is rather simple to understand or that is common knowledge.

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LL: Lihua, did you get the flowers I sent to you for Valentine's Day? You know I'm head over heels for you, so tonight when we make dinner together I have another special gift to give you.

LH: 你真是太浪漫了。我早就說過，情人節最好的禮物就是能跟你在一起。你剛纔說head over heals? 你摔到哪裏了嗎？

LL: No, that's not what I meant to say. I didn't literally fall down. I said I'm "head over heels" for you, because you are very special and I like you a lot.

LH: 我也很喜歡你，粉紅色的玫瑰花是我最喜歡的，不過我還是不明白，head over heels怎麼能用來形容愛慕之情呢？

LL: In the US, it is most common to say that you have fallen "head over heels" in love for a person. This is an exaggerated way to say that you have fallen in love.

LH: 真有意思，中文裏說，一下子陷入愛河不能自拔，叫“神魂”顛倒，可是英語裏卻用頭和腳來形容， head over heels。可是這也講不通啊，頭明明是在腳上面啊。

LL: It is obvious that the term "head over heels" doesn't make literal sense, but it still communicates a state of being so smitten with a person that one could jump and flip for joy.

LH: 沒想到，Larry, 你在這方面還挺在行的。那你知道這種說法是什麼時候出現的嗎？

LL: This phrase actually originated in the 1400's as "heels over head," and didn't have anything to do with expressing love-struck devotion. But over the years it became "head over heels," and is only used to express feeling suddenly smitten for a boyfriend or girlfriend.

LH: 不管怎麼說，head over heels這種說法用在情人節，簡直是太恰當不過了。 Larry, 你送的玫瑰太美了，You've really shown that you are "head over heels" for me. 這是我渡過的最浪漫的情人節。

今天李華學了兩個常用語。一個是born yesterday, 意思是三歲小孩。還有一個是head over heels， 意思是爲某人神魂顛倒。