在一部电影中听到两女秘书交谈的一组对话,其中一些美式惯用语(idiomatic expressions)相当管用,笔录下来供读者研习。
女秘书甲:I don't like my boss.
女秘书乙:Why?
这两句话很浅白,相信不看中文字幕也听得懂。女秘书甲说的boss,既可解作老板,也可解作上司。我们现在继续听她怎样向同事吐苦水。
女秘书甲:He always looks over my shoulder and bosses me around. (他老是监管着我,把我差来遣去。)
注:这句话用了两个惯用语。Look over my shoulder相当于watch me closely。Boss me around相当于give me orders,这个boss不是名词,而是及物动词。比方你想对朋友说“别让人把你差来遣去”,可以活用这习语说 Don't let anyone boss you around. 顺带一提,boss这个词还可以用作形容词,美国俚语中a boss car指的是“一流的汽车”。
我们继续听片中女秘书甲怎样向女同事吐苦水。
女秘书甲:When he talks, he seems to beat around the bush.
切勿把beat around the bush和beat the bushes混淆而闹出笑话。句中to beat around the bush是惯用语。Beat是动词,解作“打”,bush是名词,指“灌木”、“丛林”。女秘书不会说她的上司“绕着丛林拍打”吧?
相信大家一定知道这不是女秘书讲话的原意,也知道惯用语十之八九不可以按字面直解。相信大家都猜到beat around the bush这个英文成语相当于“闪烁其词”、“转弯抹角”、“旁敲侧击”,指讲话不直截了当。
再举一个例子,让大家加深印象。Stop beating around the bush. What's he done?(别绕圈子了。他干了什么?)
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