美国习惯用语-第32讲:Singing the blues
美国的成语和俗语五彩缤纷。其中有一些是和红颜色有关,如:red letter day 和 red tape。有的和绿颜色有关。如:green thumb 和 green light。不管是红或是绿,它们都含有特殊的意思。
今天我们要讲两个和蓝颜色,也就是英语里的 blue 这个字有关的成语。在日常生活中,blue是一个非常口语的词汇,美国人经常使用。它的意思就是情绪很低。正因为如此,blues 这个字就成了爵士音乐里面的一种。称谓 blues 的这种爵士音乐,它的特点是节奏慢,曲调很低沉。
在日常会话中,要是你对一个朋友说: "I really have the blues today." 这就是说,你今天因为某种原因情绪很不好。
现在,我们先来讲一个和 blue 有关的俗语:singing the blues。Singing 的原动词是sing,就是唱歌、唱戏的唱。Singing the blues 的意思就是诉苦、抱怨。请听下面这个例子:
例句-1: "Every time I ask Joe to pay back the money he borrowed from me, he sings the blues about all the things at home he needs money for."
这人说:“每当我要乔还他借我的钱的时候,他总是诉苦,说他家里有多少开支。”
换句话说,就是乔用诉说家里的种种困难来做借口,设法不还他欠的钱。我们再来举个例子:
例句-2: "Don\'t pay any attention to that guy! He\'s always singing the blues about how poor he is, but the truth is he has more bucks in the bank than the two of us put together."
这个人说:“别听那家伙的话。他老是诉苦,说他多么穷。可是,事实上,他银行里的钱比我们两人的加在一起还多。”
下面我们要介绍的另一个俗语是 like a bolt out of the blue。Bolt 是闪电,blue 在这儿是指蓝色的天空。 Like a bolt out of the blue 的意思就是晴天霹雳,也就是出乎意外、没料想到。有时,你花几个小时也解不开一道数学题。可是,当你不再去想它的时候,你脑子里突然出现了答案。人们还经常用 like a bolt out of the blue 来形容车祸。请听下面这句句子:
例句-3: "A driver may testify that he was going the normal speed limit when a truck appeared in front of him out of the blue and he did not have time to stop."
这句话的意思是:“一个开车的人可能会在作证时说,正当他以正常的速度行驶的时候,一辆卡车突然出现在他面前,他来不及刹车。”
我们再听听下面这个学生讲的话:
例句-4: "The announcement that the president of our university was quitting to go to another school hit us like a bolt out of the blue. He\'s always said he liked it here so much he would stay until he retired."
他说:“我们大学校长宣布他决定辞职到另外一个学校去工作。我们都感到很突然,因为他老是说他很喜欢这个学校,要一直在这儿工作到退休。”
今天我们讲了两个俗语。一个是 singing the blues;另一个是 like a bolt out of the blue。
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