抛招：Their thoughts were only of cakes and ale.

 

他们想的知识吃喝玩乐，物质享受。

 

注解：be of：具有 eg. Can I be of help? 我能帮忙吗? My advice may be of use for you. 我的意见也许对你有用。I was glad to be of some assistance. 我很高兴为您效劳。

 

抛招：Life is not all cakes and ale.生活并不只是物质享受。

 

 

 

接招：在上面的2个例句中都用到了同一个词语：cakes and ale。这是一条名词性的习惯用语。短语中的cake是“蛋糕”的意思，ale是“麦芽酒”“淡色啤酒”的意思。从其字面意思“蛋糕和啤酒”，我们很容易联想其引申义：蛋糕是“吃”的，啤酒是“喝”的。我们要生存，“吃”米饭，“喝”水是必不可少的。因此，cakes and ale就是“物质享受”的意思。随着时间的发展，语言也在发展，它就有了更深一层次的含义，意思是“寻欢作乐”“享乐”，这包括了“精神享受”。使用这个短语时，注意cake虽属于不可数名词，但是要在cake的词尾加上“s”这个小尾巴。著名作家毛姆（W. Somerset Maugham）著有一本书就叫做Cakes and Ale，译为中文是《寻欢作乐》。

 

下面，我们通过更多的例句来熟悉这个习语的意思。

 

1. Better beans and bacon in peace than cakes and ale in fear. （From Aesop）

 

平平静静地吃粗茶淡饭胜于提心吊胆地吃大鱼大肉。（来自伊索寓言）

 

注解1：bean：豆子 bacon：咸肉

 

注解2：in peace：平静地，处于平静状态 in fear：害怕地，恐惧地

 

Eg. May mother rest in peace! 愿母亲在地下安息！

 

Eg. Moms can shop in peace while their kids ride along watching their favorite TV shows. 孩子们边乘车边看最喜爱的电视节目时，妈妈们可以安静的购物。

 

Eg . And may it always continue in peace and in friendship. 祝愿我们在友谊与和平的顺境中永远前进。

 

Eg . She gripped her mother's hand in fear. 她恐惧地握紧她母亲的手。

 

Eg . As her husband became more and more violent every time he had too much to drink, the poor woman went in fear of her life. 由于她丈夫每次喝酒过多后便狂暴无比，这可怜的女人为自己的生命捏着一把汗。

 

Eg . They went to the teacher in fear and trembling to tell her that they'd broken a window. 他们战战兢兢地去告诉老师，他们打破了一扇窗户。

 

2. He never get into trouble by thinking of enjoying cakes and ale .

 

他遇到困难，从来不是由于只想到自己寻欢作乐。

 

注解：get into trouble：惹上麻烦，陷入困境 think of：想出；想起；考虑

 

Eg. George keeps a tight rein on his children, but they still seem to get into trouble regularly. 乔治对他的孩子们管教很严，但他们似乎仍然时常陷入麻烦。

 

Eg . Some people blamed Harry when he got into trouble, but Joe stood by him. 当哈里陷入困境时，一些人责备他，然而乔却支持他。

 

Eg . Nobody likes to get into trouble. 没有谁愿意惹麻烦。

 

3. Sam described Arthur's cakes and ale in London, and his confounded insolence of behaviour to his old friends from home.

 

Sam描述亚瑟在伦敦寻欢作乐，目空一切，不把家乡的老朋友放在眼中。

 

注解1：confounded：糊涂的，困惑的，讨厌的 insolence：无礼，傲慢

 

behaviour to：对......行为 old friends from home：来自家乡的朋友

 

4. He was very proud, dressed like a gentleman, lived expensively, enjoyed cakes and ale, ran in debt, and neglected his business.

 

他目中无人，绅士打扮，生活奢华，经常外出寻欢作乐，债务缠身，根本不管他的事务。

 

5. He leads a life not of study, but of cakes and ale, though not of vice.

 

他没有专心学业，而是寻欢作乐，当然还未达到胡作非为的程度。

 

注解1：lead a life：生活 not......but...... 不是......而是......

 

注解2：though在此句话中是副词，作为副词意思是“然而”“不过”，表示转折。作为连词的话，意思是“尽管”“虽然”。

 

6. Through bright windows, at every corner, you might see gay company who was enjoying cakes and ale.

 

在每一个街角上，透过灯火通明的窗户，都可以看见那些寻欢作乐的男男女女。

 

注解1：gay：色彩鲜艳的 company：伙伴，同伴（作为这个意思时，它是不可数名词，没有复数形式）

 

注解2：at every corner：在每一个角落 through windows：透过窗户

 

enjoy cakes and ale：寻欢作乐

 

7. Only men who want to kill a few hours with you because they know it may be the last time to enjoy cakes and ale .

 

男人们只想与你消磨几个钟头时光，因为他们知道这可能是自己最后一次和你寻欢作乐了。

 

注解：kill a few hours：消磨几个小时（kill time：消磨时间，打发时间）

 

Eg. While I was waiting for her, I killed time by looking in the show window.

 

我等她的时候，以浏览陈列窗而消磨时间。

 

Eg. It was a book to kill time for those who like it better dead.

 

对那些认为它闷得可以的人们说来，那是一本为消磨时间的书。

 

Eg . To kill time until the exhibition opened, we looked round the shops. 为了消磨时间等待展览开始，我们逛了逛商场。

 

好，亲爱的朋友们，今天的这招说“享受生活”——cakes and ale，我想您很容易就接住了，因为它与上回说的beer and skittles意思完全一样，也很容易记忆和联想。那么，下面我将继续抛“Enjoying Life”的招数，期待您再来接招。好！我们下次再会！

 

转自可可英语