Jump in and get your feet wet：到实践中去学习取得经验。

　　To get off on the wrong foot：某人一开始就没给人一个好印象，或一开始由于某种行为而把事情弄糟了。

　　to put your foot in your mouth。无意中说错了话而伤害了别人。

　　(2008-09-23 11:30:27)

　　中国有句俗话：常在河边走，哪能不湿鞋。把鞋子弄湿可不是什么好事情，它比喻某些人抵制不了环境的诱惑而做出不正当或者不正经的勾当。然而，在美国成语里，把脚弄湿却是一件好事。比如，许多初学英语的人都因难为情而不敢开口。于是老师很可能会这么劝这些学生: "Jump in and get your feet wet. " Jump in and get your feet wet 这个俗语的意思就是：到实践中去学习取得经验。

　　例如：I know most of you are afraid to embarrass yourselves by trying to speak English. But that's the best way to learn: when you meet an American, try a few words--jump in and get your feet wet.

　　我知道你们大多数人感到用英语来说话很不好意思。不过，当你见到美国人时，你不妨试着说一点。到实践中去学是最好的办法。

　　又如：I want to get into politics so I'm volunteering to put up signs for one of the people running for mayor. I don't get paid for it but it's a chance to jump in and get my feet wet.

　　我希望将来能够到政界去工作，所以我现在在帮一个竞选市长的候选人张贴宣传标语。我帮他做这些事是完全义务的，是没有工资的。但是，这是到实践中去得到一些经验的好机会。

　　由 foot 组成的俗语在英文里实在不少，它们的意思有的是正面的，例如：to put one's best foot forward。这是指尽量给人一个好的印象。那么，有的人一开始就给人一个坏印象是怎么说的呢？You should say: to get off on the wrong foot。 To get off on the wrong foot，这是指某人一开始就没给人一个好印象，或一开始由于某种行为而把事情弄糟了。

　　例如：When Joe went to his new job, he got off on the wrong foot--on the first morning he upset his new boss by arriving at the store two hours late. And right now he's out looking for a job again.

　　乔找到了一份新的工作，可是他刚开始到那家店里去上班时就给人一个坏印象。第一天上班他就晚到两个小时，让他的老板好不高兴。现在他又在找工作了。

　　To get off on the wrong foot 这个俗语实际上可以适用于任何情况。例如：I finally got a date with that new girl in class but I sure got off on the wrong foot with her: I had car trouble and got to her place almost two hours late.

　　那天我终于和班上新来的那个女同学约好了出去玩。可是，当天我的车出了问题，晚了两个小时才去接她，所以我一开头就把事情弄糟了。

　　有意无意做错事，说错话的情况是很经常的。下面我们要讲的一个俗语就是无意中说错了话而伤害了别人。这个俗语就是：to put your foot in your mouth。

　　例如：When Sally told that silly joke about the sailor with one leg she really put her foot in her mouth. She didn't know the man across the dinner table had a brother at home in a wheelchair.

　　萨莉吃晚饭时说了一个笑话，她拿一个只有一条腿的水手开玩笑。她可不知道坐在饭桌对面那个人的哥哥就是个残废，行动都得靠轮椅。

　　Sally如果事后了解情况的话肯定会说：Well, I certainly have put my foot in my mouth.

　　又如：I certainly put my foot in my mouth at the party last night when I asked Mister Brown to say hello to his wife for me. Somehow I'd forgotten that his wife died six months ago.

　　我昨晚在那个聚会上无意中说错了话。我让布朗先生替我向他的太太问好。不知怎么回事，我忘了他太太已经在半年前去世了。