英语语法练习:美语常用固定用法（3）

 　12. to ask (someone) for (one's) hand: to ask girl's parents for marriage

　　approval（指男人请求女方家长应允将女儿嫁给他，

　　这里的"someone"是指女方的家长，"one"则是指要求婚的对象，hand 只能用单数形式）

　　Mr. Su asked me for my daughter's hand. (苏先生到我家来向我女儿提亲。)

　　He has asked her parents for their daughter's hand.

　　(他请求她的父母应允他们的婚事。)

　　13. to move onward¹ and upward：to be promoted; from good to better

　　situation（情况得以改善，或往更好的情況发展）

　　He hopes to move onward and upward with his current company.

　　(他希望能在现在就职的公司里顺利发展，步步高升。)

　　Many young couples try to move onward and upward during their marriage.

　　(许多年轻夫妇都希望能够婚姻美满幸福。)

　　14. to call a spade a spade: to be honest, blunt or frank（直言不讳，有啥说啥）

　　My wife always calls a spade a spade about her work situation.

　　(我妻子对别人谈起她的工作时，总是直言不讳。)

　　Calling a spade a spade on foreign affairs sometimes seems difficult for

　　diplomats². (外交官在处理外交事务的时候很难做到直言不讳。)

　　15. to play cat and mouse：to play games with aggressive and passive

　　attitude（玩猫戏老鼠的把戏，欲擒故纵)

　　In business negotiations³, there are always cat-and-mouse games.

　　(在商业谈判中，常会有一些猫戏老鼠的把戏。）

　　The police have played cat and mouse with the murderer.

　　(警察对凶犯采用的是欲擒故纵的策略。)

　　16. to go on the dole⁴：(of the unemployed) to live on public

　　welfare（失业人员依靠政府救济金生活。)

　　Thousands of Americans are out of jobs and may go on the dole.

　　(美国成千上万的失业者靠领取政局救济金生活。)

　　Some people have gone on the dole for years.

　　(有些人多年来就是靠政府救济生活的。)

　　17. to be in the hot seat：to be under lots of pressure or in a difficult

　　position（处于困境，面对很多压力）

　　He has resigned from his job because he has been in the hot seat for years.

　　(由于不堪多年的工作压力，他终于辞职了。)

　　When testifies before Congress, he will be in the hot seat.

　　(在国会作证的时候，他将面临巨大的压力。)

　　18. to make waves：to make trouble （惹是生非， 与"rock the boat"意思相近）

　　Many politicians like to make waves in order to be kept in the media.

　　(许多政客为了能在媒体上路脸儿而不惜哗众取宠。)

　　Teenagers tend to make waves with their parents and teachers.

　　(一些青少年总是会给父母和老师惹麻烦。)

1 onward   

adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先

参考例句：

• The Yellow River surges onward like ten thousand horses galloping.黄河以万马奔腾之势滚滚向前。
• He followed in the steps of forerunners and marched onward.他跟随着先辈的足迹前进。

2 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

4 dole   

n.救济，（失业）救济金；vt.（out）发放，发给

参考例句：

• It's not easy living on the dole.靠领取失业救济金生活并不容易。
• Many families are living on the dole since the strike.罢工以来，许多家庭靠失业救济金度日。