【美国习语】361 趾高气扬，徒劳无益，爱打扮
【节目介绍】:本节目每天早上9点更新，介绍美国的习惯用语，让大家有更开阔的语言视角。适合各个阶层的人学习，难度中等。大家只要听写出音频中的例句就可以了，本期一共三段例句。听写不需要打引号，句子间也不用编序号。音频中听到的所有习语，提交后都均可在译文部分找到。hints:
clothes horse
Bob
Sally
注：本期只读一遍。http://t1.g.hjfile.cn/listen/201212/201212071121014147783.mp3Since Bob was elected president of the club, he's been up on his high horse, ordering the rest of us around as if we were his personal servants.
You're only beating a dead horse when you talk about your opponent stealing the last election. That's over and done with, it's much better to talk about his record after he got elected.
Sally is a real clothes horse, she pays an awful lot for all the new outfits she wears, and she looks like a million bucks. But she earns a good salary and can afford nice things.今天我们要学的几个习惯用语都有这个词horse。 Horse大家都熟，是几乎遍布世界各地的"马。" 早在四千五百年前，居住在中亚地区的游牧民族就已经开始驯服野马供人坐骑或参与战事了。直到一百来年前马匹还在世界各地被普遍应用于耕作、运输和战争，但是如今在美国马匹却主要用在运动项目中了。
由于马匹在人类历史上发挥的作用很大，因而产生了不少由horse组成的习惯用语。我们要学的第一个是: be on one's high horse。 High horse如果直译就是高头大马。早在十四世纪的时候地位高高在上的人骑的马匹得尽可能地高大，以显示他们高人一等的身份地位。他们骑上了这样的马匹就能居高临下地俯视他人了。
习惯用语be on one's high horse如今表达什么意思呢？让我们听个例子来琢磨。这是在说老朋友Bob近来的反常行为:
例句-1：Since Bob was elected president of the club, he's been up on his high horse, ordering the rest of us around as if we were his personal servants.
他说：自从Bob当选为俱乐部主席以来，他就趾高气扬起来了，把朋友们差遣得团团转，就好像这些人都是他雇的佣人一样。
Bob把周围的朋友当自己的佣人一般地差使，可见他自以为高人一等，不尊重他人。所以be on one's high horse意思就是趾高气扬、渺视他人。
******
我们再学个习惯用语: beat a dead horse。一匹死马你再怎么抽打也不会站起来往前奔跑了，所以beat a dead horse实际上是在做无用功，当然这个习惯用语是用来作比喻的。让我们听个例子来体会它的意思吧。说话的人是在劝告一位政界人士。
例句-2：You're only beating a dead horse when you talk about your opponent stealing the last election. That's over and done with, it's much better to talk about his record after he got elected.
他说：如今木已成舟你再谈政敌窃取上届选举成果也是徒劳无益、于事无补的了；你还是谈谈他当选后的政绩如何为好。
当然，在选举已成定局之后，讨论对手在选举中是否弄虚作假已经太晚，再也也改变不了选举结果了，就等于在白花力气地抽打一匹死马一样改变不了局面，所以beat a dead horse，意思是在已经失去意义的问题上白花力气，或者说是事后再作无效的努力，换句话说是徒劳无益。
******
我们再来学一个习惯用语，里面的horse意思可不同：clothes horse。 Clothes是衣服的总称，clothes horse原来是指那种晾晒衣服的架子。既然是晾衣架，上面必然会披挂各色各样的衣服，而且人们还时时会从晾衣架上取下干的、挂上潮的，也就是说架上的衣服时时在更换。但是clothes horse作为习惯用语的时候是什么意思呢？让我们听个例子来体会clothes horse比喻什么样的人。
例句-3：Sally is a real clothes horse, she pays an awful lot for all the new outfits she wears, and she looks like a million bucks. But she earns a good salary and can afford nice things.
Sally花费好多钱来给自己买新衣服。她的穿戴相当奢侈华丽，但是她的工资待遇优厚，所以能买得起贵重的东西。
既然Sally收入丰厚，又愿意把好多钱花在新衣服上，想必Sally打扮入时，所以说 Sally 是a real clothes horse，意思是爱打扮、好赶时髦的人，这可以指女人，也可以用来说男的。
页:
[1]