【英语早间课堂】Keep your mouth shut.（打印版）

【主题】

Today I would like to share an new expression with you which means " Don't tell anyone. " It's said when there is a secret to be kept. What's it? Let's listen to a simple situational dialogue and find it .

A : I heard Beth's surprise birthday party is on Sunday. B : Keep your mouth shut about that. I don't want her to find out.

【答疑解惑】

It is " keep your mouth shut. " 在这个短语中，keep 是使役动词，your mouth 是做keep的宾语，shut 是动词 shut 的过去分词，在这里作为形容词，做宾语的补足语。这个结构就是 keep + 名词+ 形容词，这个结构就是跟 make + 名词 + 形容词的意思是一样的。保持你的嘴巴是关着的，那意思就是“这是秘密，跟任何人都不要说。”If we want to express " 对某事或某人要保密 "， it is " keep your mouth shut about something or somebody. "【即学即用】

All right , let's put it into practice. Please translate the following sentences into English.

1 在得到我允许之前，你一定要守口如瓶，明白吗？

2 不要说了，没人对你的话感兴趣。

3 不要跟人说起我这枚戒指的事情。

Think them hard and the answer will be given later.

【参考答案】

1 You keep your mouth shut unless I give you permission to open it. Uuderstood?

{本句点拨}

In this sentence , "open" means "make something public". "Understood?" is an elliptical sentence. The whole sentence of it is :" are you understood?" we have a very familiar sentence which is "Do you understand?" The translation of them are the same. And then what's the differences between them. 本句中Understood? 是个省略句，完整的句子是“Are you understood?”用的是被动语态，而我们在熟悉不过的一个句子，“Do you understand?”用的是主动语态，可是中文翻译是一样的。但是这使用的场景就不同了。Are you understood? 这句话含有“你给我听清楚了吗？”“你给我弄明白了吗？”这就含有训斥别人的意味在里面。而 Do you understand? 就是一般的口吻问别人明白某样东西没有。因此，要注意语态的正确运用，使用错了，可会引起误会和矛盾。

2 You keep your mouth shut. No one here cares what you think!

3 You keep your mouth shut about the ring.

Of course , you have your way to translate them. What ever how you do it , that's fine if it is grammatical sentence. The above is original words from hit American films or TV series.

【听透美语】

And please listen to me to see what's the differences between my speech and recording.

A : I heard Beth's surprise birthday party is on Sunday. B : Keep your mouth shut about that. I don't want her to find out.

【听力点拨】

We should pay attention to the following places. 1 Beth's surprise[ beθs] [[s?'praiz]

Beth's的发音尾音为[s], 跟 surprise的第一个音相同，因此，这个尾音就不发出来了，那么Beth的尾音是[θ], 这个读音又和surprise 的第一个音相式，因此[θ]这个音也要保持沉默。So it should be pronounced as [bes?'praiz].

2 is on [iz] [?n]

这里is 以辅音[z]结尾，on 以元音[?]开头，前面的辅音跟后面的元音进行连读就是[iz?n]. There is not any stress falling on the two syllables .

3 shut about that [??t] [?'baut] [e?t]

Shut 以清辅音而且是爆破音[t]结尾, about 是以元音[?]开头，前一个单词的英标为辅音，后一个单词的开头音标是元音，则这个辅音跟这个元音进行连读，就是[t?], 清辅音在元音前浊化为浊辅音，就读为[d?], about是以[t]结尾，[t]在辅音[e]前不发音，因此shut about that 就读为['??d?bau'e?t]. The stresses falls on the first and third syllable.

4 want her to find out To 在美语中的发音是[d?], find 以辅音[d]结尾，out 以双元音[au]开头，根据连读规则，将其进行连读，就是['faindaut].

【关键句讲解】

There are two sentences in this dialogue, being worth polishing them. 1 I heard Beth's surprise birthday party is on Sunday. 【翻译】我听说Beth的令人惊喜的生日晚会定于周日进行。

【要点】surprise 这里是名词作定语，可以改为surprising.

2 I don't want her to find out. 【翻译】我不想让他知道。

【要点】to find out 是动词不定式做宾语her的补足语。In this sentence, it means "know".意思是知道。 For example: We must find out the customs of other countries, so that they will not think us ill mannered. 我们必须知道别的国家的习俗，免得他们会认为我们是没有礼貌的。Another sentences is :Find out what the conditions of the contract are. 弄清楚合同的条件是什么。Here it means "make something certain". 意思是：弄清楚。We have another sentence: I shall make it my business to find out who is responsible. 我要查出是谁的责任. In this sentence , it means "get the answer by examination". 意思是：查明，找出。If the boss should find out about this, heads will roll. 万一被老板发现，饭碗可就保不住了。在这句话中，意思是：发现。

转自可可英语

【英语早间课堂】Keep your mouth shut.（在线收听）