2013年大学英语四级考试迷你对话学口语（4）

英语自学网

A: Tom set the whole country by the ears with his discovery.
　　约翰的发明震惊了全国。
　　B: He is really terrific!
　　他真行。
　　A: He was very clever when he was a boy.
　　他小的时候就非常聪明。
　　对话精讲
　　第一、 习惯用语
　　set by ears
　　第二、 解词释义
　　此语源于一个斗狗的故事。有两个好事之徒以狗打架赌博，就分别揪住狗的耳朵让它们相斗。转义为“使人争吵，使人不和”，还可以表示“因新发现而引起轰动或使人震惊”之意。
　　第三、 支持范例
　　释义1： 使人争吵，使人不和
　　e.g.During his short stay, Philip set us all by the ears .
　　菲利普在这时短期逗留期间，搬弄是非，搞得大家不得安宁。
　　e.g.They got on well enough together until the question of promotion set them all by the ears .
　　他们原来一直相处得很好，后来提职一事引起了他们之间的不和。
　　e.g.Uncle always seems to set the family by the ears .
　　叔叔好像总是使一家人不和。
　　e.g.She set the whole neighborhood by the ears .
　　她使四邻不和。
　　释义2： 使人震惊，一鸣惊人
　　e.g.He seemed a very lively young man, certain of his own abilities and eager to set people by the ears .
　　看来他是个非常活跃的青年，对自己的能力十分自信，且急于一鸣惊人。
　　e.g.He set the whole city the ears with beating the champion.
　　他击败了冠军而一鸣惊人。