-
(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Li: Hi, I'm 杨莉, and welcome to Authentic1 Real English. I'm here today with Jen.
Jennifer: Hi!
Li: 你怎么…这么慌慌张张的…? Are you ok?
Jennifer: I woke up late and had to run to the train station. There's only one train an hour. I ran all the way there and made it by the skin of my teeth, just as the doors were closing. Phew! Is there any coffee…?
Li: Hang on… 你说你的牙帮你赶上了火车?
Jennifer: Sorry?
Li: You said "I made it by the skin of my teeth" – "你牙齿的皮肤帮了忙". 那我能能看看你的牙是什么样的! Show me your teeth! When did they grow skin?
Jennifer: There's no skin on my teeth. That would be disgusting. Yuck.
Li: So what did you mean?
Jennifer: If you do something "by the skin of your teeth" it means that you did it by a narrow margin2 – so you just managed to do it, or almost failed.
Li: 原来这是一个固定的短语意思是险些错过了什么,几乎失败。这么说,如果你差点儿误了火车那就可以说, You caught the train by the skin of your teeth.
Jennifer: That's exactly right. Let's hear some more examples of the phrase in action:
My brother's so lucky – he never does any revision for exams but always manages to pass by the skin of his teeth!
Hi, I'm stuck in a traffic jam – I might still make it to the presentation, but it'll be by the skin of my teeth.
Li: So when you just manage to do something, you can say you did it by the skin of your teeth?
Jennifer: That's it.
Li: 这是个想象力很丰富的短语。 I like it.
Jennifer: It's good to be able to get your teeth into English phrases like this.
Li: 你说我的牙齿吗? What about my teeth?
Jennifer: It's just another phrase, silly. If you get your teeth into something, it means that you become really involved in it.
Li: Well in that case, I do love getting my teeth into a new phrase – 好好啃一啃意思就是钻研新短语。等等我想起来,糟了。Oh no! 我刚想起来我今天十二点有牙科预约 – but look, it's ten to twelve now, I'll never make it!
Jennifer: You go, I'll finish the programme – if you run you might make it, but by the skin of your teeth!
Li: Thanks Jen – bye…
Jennifer: Bye!
1 authentic | |
a.真的,真正的;可靠的,可信的,有根据的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 margin | |
n.页边空白;差额;余地,余裕;边,边缘 | |
参考例句: |
|
|