词汇典故—与衣服有关的表达

词汇典故—与衣服有关的表达

Now, the VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stories.

这里是美国之音慢速英语词汇典故。

Have you ever considered all the English expressions that include words about clothes? Let's see if I can name a few "off the cuff¹" -- or without any preparation.

你留意过那些包含衣服的英语表达吗？我可以即兴(off the cuff)说出一些来。

People wear pants to cover the lower² part of their bodies. We sometimes say that people who are restless³ or nervous have "ants in their pants." They might also "fly by the seat of their pants" -- they use their natural sense to do something instead of their learned⁴ knowledge. Sometimes, people may "get caught with their pants down" -- they are found doing something they should not be doing. And, in every family, one person takes control. Sometimes a wife tells her husband what to do. Then we say "she wears the pants in the family."

人们穿裤子来掩盖下半身，我们有时会说紧张不安的人像热锅上的蚂蚁。这些人可能会凭直觉行事，而不是依靠掌握的知识来做事。有时人们会被人看到狼狈相，他们被人发现在做不该做的事。每个家庭都有主人，有时妻子告诉丈夫该做什么，那就可以说妻子是家庭的主人。

Pants usually have pockets to hold things. Money that is likely to be spent quickly can "burn a hole in your pocket." Sometimes you need a belt to hold up your pants. If you have less money than usual, you may have to "tighten⁵ your belt" -- you may have to live on less money and spend your money carefully. But once you have succeeded in budgeting your money, you will have that skill "under your belt."

裤子上总是有装东西的口袋，花钱如流水就像口袋里被烧了洞。有时需要用裤袋勒紧裤子，当钱不多时，你可能要勒紧裤腰带了，少花些钱，小心地花钱。但一旦成功地对钱做了预算，就能扎实地学会了预算的技能。

I always praise people who can save their money and not spend too much. I really "take my hat off to them." Yet, when it comes to my own money, I spend it "at the drop of a hat" -- immediately, without waiting. And sadly, you cannot "pull money out of a hat" -- you cannot get money by inventing or imagining it.

我总是称赞那些能省钱不乱花钱的人，我真的佩服他们。不过，对于我自己的钱，我会马上花个精光。可悲的是，你不能凭空变出钱来。

Boots are a heavy or strong kind of shoes. People who are "too big for their boots" think they are more important than they really are. I dislike such people. I really do. You can bet⁶ your boots on that!

靴子是一种沉重结实的鞋子，自负的人想象自己比实际的更重要。我不喜欢这种人，真的，你可以打赌。

Yet, truly important people are hard to replace. Rarely⁷ can you "fill their shoes" -- or replace them with someone equally⁸ effective.

不过真正重要的人很难被取代，你很难取代他们。

My father is an important person. He runs a big company. He wears a suit and tie and a shirt with sleeves¹⁰ that cover his arms. Some people who do not know him well think he is too firm and severe¹¹. They think he is a real "stuffed¹² shirt." But I know that my father "wears his heart on his sleeve⁹" -- he shows his feelings openly. And, he knows how to "keep his shirt on" -- he stays calm and never gets angry or too excited.

我父亲就是个重要的人，他开了一家公司，他穿着西装，衣着考究。不很熟悉他的人认为他古板严厉，认为他爱摆架子。但我知道父亲很坦率，会直接表达自己的感受。他知道如何保持冷静，从不生气或太激动。

Also, my father has never "lost his shirt" in a business deal -- he is too smart to lose all or most of his money. This is because my father "rolls up his sleeves" -- and prepares to work hard. He often has a special plan or answer to a problem that he can use if he needs it. He is like a person who does magic tricks. We say "he has a card up his sleeve."

不过，我父亲从未在生意场上失手过，他很聪明，不会输掉全部或大部金钱。这是因为父亲做好努力工作的准备，他对问题常常有特殊的解决方法，就像玩魔术的人一样，我们说他有制胜法宝。

This VOA Special English program "Words and Their Stories" was written by Jill Moss¹³.

这里是美国之音慢速英语词汇典故，作者吉尔·莫斯。

 

I'm Faith Lapidus.

我是Faith Lapidus。

1 cuff   

n.袖口；手铐；护腕；vt.用手铐铐；上袖口

参考例句：

• She hoped they wouldn't cuff her hands behind her back.她希望他们不要把她反铐起来。
• Would you please draw together the snag in my cuff?请你把我袖口上的裂口缝上好吗？

2 lower   

adj.较低的；地位较低的，低等的；低年级的；下游的；vt.放下，降下，放低；减低

参考例句：

• Society is divided into upper,middle and lower classes.社会分为上层、中层和下层阶级。
• This price is his minimum;he refuses to lower it any further.这个价格是他开的最低价，他拒绝再作任何降价。

3 restless   

adj.焦躁不安的；静不下来的，运动不止的

参考例句：

• He looks like a restless man.他看上去坐立不安。
• He has been very restless all day and he awoke nearly all last night.他一整天都心神不定，昨夜几乎一整夜没有合眼。

4 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

5 tighten   

v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧

参考例句：

• Turn the screw to the right to tighten it.向右转动螺钉把它拧紧。
• Some countries tighten monetary policy to avoid inflation.一些国家实行紧缩银根的货币政策，以避免通货膨胀。

6 bet   

v.打赌，以(与)...打赌；n.赌注，赌金；打赌

参考例句：

• I bet you can't do this puzzle.我敢说，你解决不了这个难题。
• I offered to bet with him.我提出与他打赌。

7 rarely   

adv.很少，难得；非常地，非凡地

参考例句：

• Such fish is rarely met with in the north country.这种鱼在北方难得看到。
• He rarely comes here anymore.现在他难得来这儿了。

8 equally   

adv.平等地；公平地

参考例句：

• Divide the cake into quarters and share it equally.把蛋糕分成四份，大家平均享用。
• The blue sky belongs equally to us all.蓝天为人所共有。

9 sleeve   

n.袖子，袖套

参考例句：

• Will you please mend the sleeve of my blouse?请你把我衬衣的袖子补一下好吗？
• He pulled my sleeve, attracted my attention in this way.他扯了扯我的衣袖以引起我的注意。

10 sleeves   

n.衣服袖子( sleeve的名词复数 )；套管；套筒；唱片套

参考例句：

• The long sleeves of her dress embarrassed her movements. 她衣服的长袖子妨碍她的行动。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Girls nowadays don't wear their heart on their sleeves. 如今女孩子不轻易流露自己的感情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 severe   

adj.严格的，凶猛的，严肃的，严重的，严厉的，朴素的

参考例句：

• The severe storm did for most of the crops.猛烈的暴风雨毁掉了大部分庄稼。
• The pace was too severe to be kept up for long.跟上这步伐太难了，无法持久。

12 stuffed   

adj.充满的；饱的v.塞住( stuff的过去式和过去分词 )；把…装进；把…装满；（使）吃撑

参考例句：

• stuffed animals in glass cases 玻璃柜里的动物标本
• I was stuffed to the gills with chocolate cake. 我嘴里塞满了巧克力蛋糕。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。