令人迷糊的常用英文字眼
[size=4][color=#444444][font=Tahoma,]在美国有许多常用的字眼，往往使学习英语的中国人感到不解。在此，举一些例子供读者参考。[/font][/color][color=#0b0f0][font=Tahoma,] 1. Head Start[/font][/color]
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[font=Tahoma,] 如果这两个字开头的字母是大写，则连在一起是一个专有名词，指的是美国政府为贫穷或弱智的儿童设立的一种训练机构，帮助他们，希望他们在进小学之前能赶上教学进度。也就是：U.S. government tries to give extra - help for those underprivileged children before entering first grade. (underprivileged 比 poor 更委婉些)[/font]
[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] 例如： Many poor parents send their children to Head Start.[/font][/color]
[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] 但是如果head start的字母是小写，那么就是普通名词了，是指比別人早着手，或领先、 有利，即：advance start or advantage[/font][/color]
[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] 例如：In order to give his son a head start, the father decided to send him to a private kindergarten. (为了让他的儿子有好的开始，他决定把儿子送到私立幼儿园去。)[/font][/color]
[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] To know more colloquial expressions is a head start in learning English. (了解更多的俗语对学习英语有好处。)[/font][/color]
[font=Tahoma,] 2. blue blood[/font]
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[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] 是指有钱人或出身富家的人 (rich or wealthy people)[/font][/color]
[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] 例如：He has blue blood.或He is blue blooded (person).[/font][/color]
[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] Mr. Lin comes from a blue blooded family. (林先生出身豪门。)[/font][/color]
[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] Some people do not want to admit that they have blue blood. (有些人不愿承认自己是富家出身。)[/font][/color]
[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] Many blue blooded children attend this private school. (许多有钱人家的孩子就读这所私立学校。)[/font][/color][/size]
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[/size] [size=4] [font=Tahoma,]3. bed of roses[/font]
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[font=Tahoma,] 意思是称心如意的境遇;美好、理想的"安乐窝"(everything seems to be wonderful)[/font]
[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] 例如：Life is not always a bed of roses. (生活未必都是称心如意的。)[/font][/color]
[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] Young people think that marriage will be a bed of roses. (年轻人都认为婚姻是美好的。)[/font][/color]
[font=Tahoma,]4. from soup to nuts[/font]
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[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] 意思是从头到尾，自始至终;或是一应俱全，完整详尽(多半是指物品方面)。[/font][/color]
[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] 例如：This store sells everything from soup to nuts. (这家商店出售的货品一应俱全。)[/font][/color]
[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] My office is supplied from soup to nuts. (我办公室里的用品十分齐全。)[/font][/color]
[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] 但是如果指知识丰富的话，则不用这个词，而是通常用 from A to Z来表达，。[/font][/color]
[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] 例如：Mr. Greenspan knows economics from A to Z. (格林斯潘先生在经济方面的知识非常丰富。)[/font][/color]
[font=Tahoma,] 5. real blast[/font]
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[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] blast 本来是指"一阵狂风"。但在[/font][/color][font=Tahoma, Microsoft Yahei, Simsun][color=#07519a]口语[/color][/font][color=#444444][font=Tahoma,]中则是指欢乐，或玩得愉快，很尽兴 (have a good time; usually refers to a party or gathering.)[/font][/color]
[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] 例如：Miss Su had a (real) blast at the party. (苏小姐在派对上玩得很痛快。)[/font][/color]
[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] I hope our get-together will be a (real) blast. (我希望我们相聚的时光是愉快的。)[/font][/color]
[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] 注：blast 前面用 real 形容，是起到加强语气的作用。[/font][/color]
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[font=Tahoma,]6. off-limits[/font]
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[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] 意思是禁止入內;限制进出或不准使用，也就是关闭 (closed or not available)例如：The library will be off-limits to the public until re-carpeting project is completed. (新地毯铺好之前，图书馆闭馆。)[/font][/color]
[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] The teachers have the use of a john that is off-limits to students.(学生不得使用教师厕所。) (john小写的时候才是指厕所。) 或 This bathroom is off-limits to students.[/font][/color]
[color=#0b0f0][font=Tahoma,] 7. next of kin[/font][/color]
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[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] 是指家人或者近亲(closest relatives or anyone in the family)。[/font][/color]
[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] 在美国，所谓"亲人"也是依每个人的不同情況而定的，可能是夫妇、父母、儿女，或是叔叔婶婶、表兄弟姐妹。[/font][/color]
[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] 例如：If a person has a serious car accident, his or her next of kin will be notified. (如果遭遇严重车祸，当事人的亲属就会接到通知。)[/font][/color]
[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] At the funeral all next of kin were in attendance. (所有的亲属都参加了葬礼。)[/font][/color]
[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] The doctor should discuss the prognosis candidly with the next of kin. (医生应该把诊断结果坦白地告知病人家属。)[/font][/color]
[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] All his property will eventually go to his next of kin. (他的所有财产最终都给了他的亲人。)[/font][/color]
[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] 如果"kin"单独使用，用作家属或亲属的总称，则通常后面不加 s。[/font][/color]
[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] 例如：All my kin attended the family get-together. (我们全家集聚一堂。)[/font][/color]
[/size] [font=Tahoma,]8. real bomb[/font]
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[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] 在口语里是指在公众场所或舞台上表演失败或表现欠佳。通常与 real 用在一起。[/font][/color]
[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] 例如：The show was a real bomb, so I cut out early. (这个剧很糟糕，所以我提前退场了。) (cut out = leave)[/font][/color]
[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] 如果 bomb 作名词用，意思就是炸弹;作动词，则是轰炸，或失败、极坏的意思。(very bad) 例如： A U.S. fighter dropped a bomb over Iraq. (一架美国轰炸机往伊拉克扔了一颗炸弹) (作名词)= A U.S. fighter bombed Iraq. (作动词)[/font][/color]
[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] The play has bombed. (这场戏演砸了)[/font][/color]
[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] 值得注意的是："real bomb"有時也指"真正的炸弹"。例如：[/font][/color]
[color=#444444][font=Tahoma,] The police found a real bomb in the building. (警察在建筑物中发现了一颗真炸弹)[/font][/color] At the wedding all next of kin were in attendance. newly couple got their blessing.
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