高手过招：习语

 

思润培训中心为大家带来思润十年期刊，关于英语习语方面的内容。

 

英语习语（idiom）是个宽泛旷漫的概念，凡是词的组合在意、趣、神、色各方面有异于参与组合的词的本身时，均可算入其中。从语义上说，习语具有更强的“语义”和“文化语义”。to die可以指“死”，也可以指“凋谢”“灭亡”等，而习语to kick the bucket只可能指“死亡”。

 

学习英语的人往往会体验到一种“高原现象”，即在达到中级以上的较高水平之后，虽日日坚持习练，终无突破性进展。特别是说出来的英文语句总有牵强凑合之感，全无地道的外国味儿。若遇到这样的情形，你就该主攻习语了。许多英文学习者多注重单词数量的积累而忽视习语的掌握。实际上语言并非由单词的简单堆积而成，可以说80%的学生都花很大的功夫去查单词、背生词，学了一大堆单词却不能够活学活用。试看大师级人物的作品，大多都很少用艰涩生僻的字眼，但字与字之间的铺排，句与句之间的衔接，无一不经精心锤炼；而其中习语的运用，更可展现其作品的经典和文化底蕴。

 

况且在雅思官方口语评分标准（公众版）中，在“词汇多样性”（lexical resource）这一栏里明确规定了，要在词汇上达到7分甚至以上，必须“使用一些非常见的词汇及习语”（use some less common and idiomatic vocabulary），这就更展示了习语在高分雅思口语里中流砥柱的作用。

 

现在就请大家和我一起来体验习语的魔力，让习语使你的口语与众不同，让习语使考官对你刮目相看。

 

由于习语太多，在这里不能全部讲解到，我按照字母表顺序分别选取了一些素材，并搭以例句让大家能够在实践中更扎实地掌握。

 

A：

walk/float on air: be very happy about sth.

When I passed my driving test, I was walking on air for days.

驾照考试通过后，我兴奋了好几天。

 

B：

a blessing in disguise: a thing that seems bad or unpleasant at first but that has advantages in the end.

Not getting that job turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as the firm went out of business only a few months later.

没得到那份工作反倒是件好事，因为那公司几个月之后就倒闭了。

 

C：

from the cradle to the grave: from birth to death

Our government is supposed to take care of the citizens from the cradle to the grave.

我们的政府应当把公民的一生都照料好。

 

D：

dog eat dog: fierce competition, with no concern for the harm done or other people’s feelings.

In the modern business world, it’s dog eat dog in the pursuit of success.

在现代商业界，要获得成功就要进行残酷的竞争。

 

E：

on the edge of one’s seat: very excited and giving your full attention to something.

The thriller had me on the edge of my seat until the last moment.

看这部惊悚片的时候，我自始至终都处于紧张兴奋状态。

 

F：

a force to be reckoned with: a person or thing that has a lot of power and influence and should therefore be treated seriously.

Be careful how you deal with her ‘cuz she’s a force to be reckoned with.

跟她打交道得多加小心，她可是个厉害人物。

 

G：

a goody-goody: a person who behaves very well to please people in authority such as bosses or teachers.

I dislike her for being such a goody-goody.

我不喜欢她如此八面玲珑。

 

H：

hang by a thread: in a very uncertain or critical moment.

After the earthquake, his life hung by a thread for several days.

地震后的好几天他都处在生死边缘。

 

I：

ignorance is bliss: if you don’t know about sth, you can’ worry about it.

Some doctors believe ignorance is bliss and don’t give their patients all the facts.

有些医生认为不知道是好事，因此不向病人透露全部病情。

 

J：

jog sb’s memory: help sb to remember sth.

This photograph of me in Malaysia jogs my memory.

这张我在马来西亚的照片唤起了我的记忆。

 

K：

the kiss of death: an action or event that seems good, but is certain to make sth else fail.

When they merrily suggested the merge of two companies, I knew it was the kiss of death. A massive cutdown took place a week later

当他们高兴地提出合并两家公司的时候，我知道大事不妙了。一周后便开始了大型裁员。

 

L：

lay sth at sb’s door: blame sb for sth.

The failure of the first try shouldn’t be laid at her door.

第一次尝试的失败不能归咎于她。

 

M：

go through the motions: do sth or say sth because you have to, not because you really want to.

I’m not really into this project. I’m just going through the motions.

我对这个项目并不感冒，只是走走过场而已。

N：

stick/poke one’s nose into sth: interfere in the affairs or business of other people.

Why do you always have to stick your nose into everything? It’s none of your concern. 为何你总要多管闲事？这与你无关啊。

 

O：

get/keep sb onside: get sb’s support.

I always try to get my parents onside before I make any major decisions.

在我每次做出重要决定之前，都要先得到父母的支持。

 

P：

pie in the sky: ideas that are not practical; false hopes or promises.

The government promises that the problem of traffic jams will be solved once the light rail is completed, but I think it’s all pie in the sky.

政府保证说一旦轻轨竣工，交通堵塞问题就会得到解决，但我认为那是异想天开。

 

Q：

quick-tempered: bad-tempered; become angry easily.

This would have been so much easier if I weren’t that quick-tempered.

如果我不那么暴躁的话，这事处理起来就容易多了。

 

R：

ring in one’s ears/head: make you feel you can still hear sth.

Months later, the concert was still ringing in my head.

数月过去了，那场音乐会依然余音绕梁。

 

S：

strick it rich: become rich suddenly.

She struck it rich when her aunt died and left her 20 million dollars.

她姑姑死后留给她两千万，她便一夜暴富了。

 

T：

through thick and thin: in spite of all the difficulties and problems; in good and bad times.

He has been a good friend to me through thick and thin to which I’m ever grateful.

无论顺境还是逆境，他一直是我的好朋友，对此我无限感激。

 

U：

catch/take sb unawares: surprise sb; do sth when sb does not expect it.

Her sudden refusal took me unawares.

她突然拒绝，让我措手不及。

 

V：draw/throw a veil over sth: say nothing or no more about something unpleasant.

Mos of us prefer to throw a veil over subjects like illness and death.

我们绝大部分的人都对疾病和死亡这样的话题避而不谈。

 

W：

a wake-up call: an event that makes people realize that they must take action in a dangerous situation.

The recent storms and floods have been a wake-up call for many people about the reality of climate change.

最近发生的风暴和洪水给许多人敲响了警钟，是他们意识到气候变化的事实。

Y：

put years on sb: make sb feel or look much older.

The shock of losing his job put years on my father.

事业的打击让我父亲看起来老了不少。

 

Z：

catch/get some Z’s: have some sleep.

I headed home to catch some Z’s after the party.

派对结束后我回家小睡了一会儿。

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