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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
抛招:Their thoughts were only of cakes and ale.
他们想的知识吃喝玩乐,物质享受。
注解:be of:具有 eg. Can I be of help? 我能帮忙吗? My advice may be of use for you. 我的意见也许对你有用。I was glad to be of some assistance. 我很高兴为您效劳。
抛招:Life is not all cakes and ale.生活并不只是物质享受。
接招:在上面的2个例句中都用到了同一个词语:cakes and ale。这是一条名词性的习惯用语。短语中的cake是“蛋糕”的意思,ale是“麦芽酒”“淡色啤酒”的意思。从其字面意思“蛋糕和啤酒”,我们很容易联想其引申义:蛋糕是“吃”的,啤酒是“喝”的。我们要生存,“吃”米饭,“喝”水是必不可少的。因此,cakes and ale就是“物质享受”的意思。随着时间的发展,语言也在发展,它就有了更深一层次的含义,意思是“寻欢作乐”“享乐”,这包括了“精神享受”。使用这个短语时,注意cake虽属于不可数名词,但是要在cake的词尾加上“s”这个小尾巴。著名作家毛姆(W. Somerset Maugham)著有一本书就叫做Cakes and Ale,译为中文是《寻欢作乐》。
下面,我们通过更多的例句来熟悉这个习语的意思。
1. Better beans and bacon in peace than cakes and ale in fear. (From Aesop)
平平静静地吃粗茶淡饭胜于提心吊胆地吃大鱼大肉。(来自伊索寓言)
注解1:bean:豆子 bacon:咸肉
注解2:in peace:平静地,处于平静状态 in fear:害怕地,恐惧地
Eg. May mother rest in peace! 愿母亲在地下安息!
Eg. Moms can shop in peace while their kids ride along watching their favorite TV shows. 孩子们边乘车边看最喜爱的电视节目时,妈妈们可以安静的购物。
Eg . And may it always continue in peace and in friendship. 祝愿我们在友谊与和平的顺境中永远前进。
Eg . She gripped her mother's hand in fear. 她恐惧地握紧她母亲的手。
Eg . As her husband became more and more violent every time he had too much to drink, the poor woman went in fear of her life. 由于她丈夫每次喝酒过多后便狂暴无比,这可怜的女人为自己的生命捏着一把汗。
Eg . They went to the teacher in fear and trembling to tell her that they'd broken a window. 他们战战兢兢地去告诉老师,他们打破了一扇窗户。
2. He never get into trouble by thinking of enjoying cakes and ale .
他遇到困难,从来不是由于只想到自己寻欢作乐。
注解:get into trouble:惹上麻烦,陷入困境 think of:想出;想起;考虑
Eg. George keeps a tight rein2 on his children, but they still seem to get into trouble regularly. 乔治对他的孩子们管教很严,但他们似乎仍然时常陷入麻烦。
Eg . Some people blamed Harry3 when he got into trouble, but Joe stood by him. 当哈里陷入困境时,一些人责备他,然而乔却支持他。
Eg . Nobody likes to get into trouble. 没有谁愿意惹麻烦。
3. Sam described Arthur's cakes and ale in London, and his confounded insolence4 of behaviour to his old friends from home.
Sam描述亚瑟在伦敦寻欢作乐,目空一切,不把家乡的老朋友放在眼中。
注解1:confounded:糊涂的,困惑的,讨厌的 insolence:无礼,傲慢
behaviour to:对......行为 old friends from home:来自家乡的朋友
4. He was very proud, dressed like a gentleman, lived expensively, enjoyed cakes and ale, ran in debt, and neglected his business.
他目中无人,绅士打扮,生活奢华,经常外出寻欢作乐,债务缠身,根本不管他的事务。
他没有专心学业,而是寻欢作乐,当然还未达到胡作非为的程度。
注解1:lead a life:生活 not......but...... 不是......而是......
注解2:though在此句话中是副词,作为副词意思是“然而”“不过”,表示转折。作为连词的话,意思是“尽管”“虽然”。
6. Through bright windows, at every corner, you might see gay company who was enjoying cakes and ale.
在每一个街角上,透过灯火通明的窗户,都可以看见那些寻欢作乐的男男女女。
注解1:gay:色彩鲜艳的 company:伙伴,同伴(作为这个意思时,它是不可数名词,没有复数形式)
注解2:at every corner:在每一个角落 through windows:透过窗户
enjoy cakes and ale:寻欢作乐
7. Only men who want to kill a few hours with you because they know it may be the last time to enjoy cakes and ale .
男人们只想与你消磨几个钟头时光,因为他们知道这可能是自己最后一次和你寻欢作乐了。
注解:kill a few hours:消磨几个小时(kill time:消磨时间,打发时间)
Eg. While I was waiting for her, I killed time by looking in the show window.
我等她的时候,以浏览陈列窗而消磨时间。
Eg. It was a book to kill time for those who like it better dead.
对那些认为它闷得可以的人们说来,那是一本为消磨时间的书。
Eg . To kill time until the exhibition opened, we looked round the shops. 为了消磨时间等待展览开始,我们逛了逛商场。
好,亲爱的朋友们,今天的这招说“享受生活”——cakes and ale,我想您很容易就接住了,因为它与上回说的beer and skittles意思完全一样,也很容易记忆和联想。那么,下面我将继续抛“Enjoying Life”的招数,期待您再来接招。好!我们下次再会!
转自可可英语
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vice
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n.坏事;恶习;[pl.]台钳,老虎钳;adj.副的 | |
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2
rein
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n.疆绳,统治,支配;vt.以僵绳控制,统治 | |
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3
harry
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vt.掠夺,蹂躏,使苦恼 | |
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4
insolence
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n.傲慢;无礼;厚颜;傲慢的态度 | |
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