每日一句

mirandawang

20101108

hang in there | hang on in there

中文解释：坚持下去，不要放弃
英文解释：You can tell someone to hang in there, or hang on in there, if they're in a difficult situation and you want to encourage them, or tell them not to give up.
eg：
Giving up cigarettes is really hard, but it gets easier as each day passes, so hang in there and you'll soon feel better.
I was exhausted, and I really wanted to quit, but I told myself to hang on in there and finish the race.

mirandawang

20101109

a bed of roses

中文解释：逞心如意的生活
英文解释：A situation which is easy and comfortable
出处：
1.From Christopher Marlowe's The Passionate Shepherd To His Love. This was published posthumously in 1599 - Marlowe died in 1593.

Come live with me and be my love,
And we will all the pleasures prove
That valleys, groves, hills, and fields,
Woods or steepy mountain yields.

And we will sit upon the rocks,
Seeing the shepherds feed their flocks,
By shallow rivers to whose falls
Melodious birds sing madrigals.

And I will make thee beds of roses
And a thousand fragrant posies,
A cap of flowers, and a kirtle
Embroidered all with leaves of myrtle;

A gown made of the finest wool
Which from our pretty lambs we pull;
Fair lined slippers for the cold,
With buckles of the purest gold;

A belt of straw and ivy buds,
With coral clasps and amber studs:
And if these pleasures may thee move,
Come live with me and be my love.

The shepherds' swains shall dance and sing
For thy delight each May morning:
If these delights thy mind may move,
Then live with me and be my love.

Here, Marlowe was referring to real flowers. The phrase has since come to be used figuratively to refer to any easy and pleasantsituation - floral or otherwise.

2.The literal interpretation of the phrase was taken up again in the imagery for the 1999 film 'American Beauty'. The commercial potential of that imagery was soon exploited and 'Bed of Roses' bath kits were soon on sale. They rather spoiled the effect by using the blurb 'if you want to re-create the inimitable scene from American Beauty...'.

eg：Life isn't a bed of roses.　人生并非事事称心如意。

mirandawang

20101110

come out in the wash

中文解释：暴露,真相大白
英文解释：if something secret or unpleasant comes out in the wash, people discover the truth about it
eg：They don't want the police to investigate, because they're afraid of what might come out in the wash.

cathy_fly

挺好的帖子，就是对我而言，还是先学好常用的说法把，有的记不住，有的我说了德国人恐怕也不怎么明白

mirandawang

20101111

It's Greek to me.

中文解释：我完全不懂
英语解释：something that you say when you do not understand something that is written or said
来源：This phrase comes from Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar.
eg：I've tried reading the manual but it's all Greek to me.

mirandawang

20101112

not one's cup of tea

中文解释：不感兴趣；不合胃口
英文解释：not one's choice or preference. (Used to describe an activity you do not enjoy. Can sound somewhat affected.)
eg：You three visit the museum without me. Looking at fussy old paintings is not my cup of tea.

mirandawang

20101113

beat a dead horse

中文解释：白费口舌
英文解释：to waste time doing something that has already been attempted
eg：
Do you think it's worth sending my manuscript to other publishers or I am just beating a dead horse?

mirandawang

20101114

let the cat out of bag

中文解释：泄漏秘密
英文解释：to reveal a secret or a surprise by accident.
来源：早在超市（或杂货店）出现之前，人们通常在当地的市场买菜。农民和商人们在那里叫卖蔬菜水果、鸡蛋面包之类，此外还会出售肉类和家禽，通常都是些活的动物。在一些特殊的场合（如节日盛宴），乳猪是采购单上一样很抢手的食物。由于乳猪会乱动，当顾客挑选好并结账后，商人为了运送方便就把猪塞进一个帆布口袋（poke）里递给顾客。
然而，市场上的许多交易并不光明磊落，奸商有时会利用顾客一时走神，把一只流浪猫冒充乳猪放进袋子里。直到顾客回家，“把猫从袋子里拿出来”（let the cat out of the bag），才发现这个骗局。所以这个词组意味着是一个意外的，但通常令人讨厌的发现。据说这也是谚语“不要买装在袋子里的猪”（don't buy a pig in a poke）的由来，也就是“不要不看现货就买东西”的意思。
eg：We knew then that he was expecting someone to arrive. It's a secret. Try not to let the cat out of the bag.

mirandawang

20101115

You're going too far!

中文解释：你太过分了。
英文解释：to do more than is acceptable
eg：I didn't mind at first, but now you've gone too far. If you go too far, I'll slap you.

mirandawang

20101116

come in handy

中文解释：派上用场
英文解释：to be useful
eg：My son's wagon comes in handy when I have to move anything heavy.