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美国人的口头禅(下)

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美国人的口头禅(下)/怀中

9.  It is a shame!
这是一句可以用在许多适当情况的口语 (Catch-all phrase),是表示一种轻度的「遗憾」或「同情」(a form of sympathy or regret) 但没有「羞耻」的意思。例如:

It is a shame that your car got stuck in the snow.(你的汽车陷在雪里,真糟糕。)
When I said, "I lost ten dollars from my pocket.",he replied, "It is a shame!"(当我说:「我从口袋里掉了十块钱」,他回答:「真遗憾?」)

至於 "What a shame",其实与 "it is a shame" 意思相似,也有 "It is too bad" 的味道。例如:
What a shame that his son's behavior is so rude.(他儿子的粗鲁行为是令人遗憾的)

10. May it ever be thus!
意思是:希望保持现在的情况,不会改变。(I hope it will not change; may the situation always remain the same.),通常用在喜庆时,也有祝你与现在一样的健康快乐之意。(I hope you are always as healthy and happy as now.) 例如:
(来源:最老牌的英语学习网站 EnglishCN.com)


We are wonderful friends; may it ever be thus!(我们是好友,愿永远如此!)
He said to the newly weds, "May it ever be thus!"(他对新婚夫妇说:「愿你们永远这样的恩爱、幸福」)

11. Am I being petty?
意思是:「我是气量小吗?」或「我是心胸狭窄吗?」(narrow-minded) 这是一个人做了或说了某件事情後,唯恐别人批评或指责而自加「反省」的表态。(或表示谦虚)
这里用 verb to be 的现在进行式,表示气量小或心胸窄是「暂时性」的。而 Am I petty? 又是指「经常性」的。(但是谁又愿意承认自己是经常的气量小,心胸窄呢!所以为了「自尊心」,通常不说"I am petty",只说"I am being petty." 同理:

Am I being over-reactive?(或 over sensitive?)(我是反应过火或过份敏感吗?)
Are you being in bad mood?(你情绪不好吗?)都是强调「暂时性」。否则就不必使用现在进行式 (being)
(主词可用任何人称代名词 you, we, he, she, they 等,动词可用任何时态。)

12. Stay tuned!
这多半是指播音员在收音机或电视上所说的。意思是:「稍等一下,下面还有」(Stay where you are in the same channel),但也可以表示对一件事情的继续讨论 (to keep continuing the same issue)。(tuned是形容词,原意是调好电台或电视)例如: (来源:英语麦当劳www.EnglishCN.com)

Stay tuned, there will be more on this subject tomorrow.(稍等,这个问题明天再谈。)
Stay tuned 的等候时间,可长可短,要看情况而定。

然而 "wait a moment" 通常是指 immediately,时间较短。例如:
Stay tuned(或 wait a moment)I will be right back.(指马上回来)

但是:
We have to stay tuned regarding the name change of our school.(我们必须等待校名的变更)(等待时间较长)

13. You can say that again!
这句话的意思是「我同意你」(I agree with you.)或「你对了」(You are right.)例如:

When the professor spoke on human rights, the students responded, "You can say that again!"(当教授谈到人权时;学生回答说:「你说得对!」)

虽然这句话的主词通常只用第二人称单数 You,但在某些情况下,也可以用其他人称。例如:
When we heard Mr. Clinton's speech on tax reduction, my wife turned to me and said, "He can say that again!"(当我们听到柯林顿先生减税的讲演时,内人转头对我说:「他说得对!」)

14. Let me sleep on it.

(来源:英语麦当劳-英语杂志 EnglishCN.com)


意思是「让我考虑一下」或「让我想想看」(let me think about it.)(这与 sleep 没有关系)例如:

Let me sleep on your proposal.(让我考虑你的建议。)
When he asked if she wanted to stay with him, she said, "Let me sleep on it."(当他问她要不要留下来,她说:「要想想看」。)

在 "let me sleep on it." 中,me 可用其他人称代名词(him, her, you, us, them 等),it 有时也用 this 或 that 代替。

15. Take heart!
意思是「勇敢些」、「不必苦恼」、「振作起来」(be brave; don't worry; don't let things get you down)(多半指感情方面,比较 emotional)例如:

Take heart, and the situation will be better.(不必怕,情况会好些。)
Take heart, I am sure you will be successful in the future.(振作起来吧,我相信你将来会成功的。)

16. Tune him out!
意思是「别听他的」,「不必理会他」(don't listen to him; don't pay attention to him.)例如:

Mr. Lee just talked nonsense; tune him out.(李先生在瞎扯,别听他的。)
I am going to tune her out when she begins to speak on the subject.(当她谈及主题时,我不想理会她。)

(来源:英语麦当劳-英语学习门户 EnglishCN.com)


The husband tuned out his wife when he was watching the football game.(老公看足球赛时没有理会太座。)
(tune out 有时也可连在一起使用)(在 "tune him out" 这句口语里,动词 tune 可用任何时态;受词 him 也可用其他人称代名词。)

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