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最新美语流行语手册(实用商务篇)

时间:2014-05-29 19:19来源: 作者: 点击:
A Handbook of New American Buzz Words – Words for Business 1.a buyer’s market 买方市场 market在这里是“行情”的意思。买方市场是有利于购买者的行情。与之相对的是a seller’s market(卖方市场)。 A: Have y

A Handbook of New American Buzz Words – Words for Business

  1.a buyer’s market 买方市场

  market在这里是“行情”的意思。买方市场是有利于购买者的行情。与之相对的是a seller’s market(卖方市场)。

  A: Have you bought the house? 你已买房子了吗?

  B: I don’t know how to choose it. There are a lot of apartments on sale. 我不知道该怎么办,那么多房子,眼都挑花了。

  A: It is a buyer’s market, you know. 现在是买方市场嘛!

  2.a country mile 一段很长的距离

  该习语多用在美国口语中,名词country有“农场”的意思。在美国,由于科技比较发达,农场往往都很大。这些农场总能给人以辽阔、遥远之感。故该习语用country来指“距离之远”。

  A: Is the house close to the central city? 那房子靠着市中心吗?

  B: It is a country mile from the Central Park. But it won’t be a problem since you drive. 离中央公园远着呢。可既然你开车这就不成问题了。

  A: The distance is not really a problem. The real problem is whether I can afford it. 远近到不是问题,问题是我是不是买得起。

  B: Don’t worry about it. It’s a real bargain. 不用担心,很便宜的。

  3.a drug on the market 滞销商品,滞销货,供应过剩的商品

  drug 的本义是“麻醉药品”,而麻醉药品是不能在市场上公开出售的,因此该词常常用来指“滞销货”。

  A: The things my son bought home were usually a drug on the market for adults. 我儿子买回来的东西在咱们眼里都是卖不出去的。

  B: That’s not abnormal for a youngster. Young people all seems to be crazy about such things. 这对年轻来说没什么不正常的。年轻人看起来对这些东西都非常感兴趣。

  A: The real problem is that he’s suing my money for them. 问题是他那我的钱去买的呀。

  B: He’s your son, after all. Who else’s money do you suppose him to use? 他毕竟是你的儿子呀。你想让他拿谁的钱去买呢

  4.a fair shake 公平的待遇

  shake 在口语中有“处置、对待”的意思。当fair的意思为“公平的”时,这个短语的意思是“顺利的、有意的”时,它的意思就是“好机会”。

  A: Bob, can you ever make a thing right? 鲍勃,你就不能做对一件事吗?

  B: Yes, I can and I am doing the right thing. 我能,而且我现在干的就是对的。

  A: You should go and see how Allan handles it. 你真该去看看阿伦是怎么干活的。

  B: It’s that Allen again! Why can’t you ever think of giving me a fair shake? 又是阿伦!你怎么就不能对我公平点?

  5.a fat chance 微小的机会

  fat本是“很多”的意思,但在这里用了反意,表示“微小的机会”;表示同样意义的短语还有a fat lot,指“很少”。

  A: What do you think of his plan? 你觉得他的方案如何?

  B: I have a feeling that is it doomed to fail. 我感觉它注定要失败。

  A: Why don’t you vote against him? 干吗不投票否决他的提议?

  B: It’s a fat chance of voting out his suggestion. 这不大可能
6.a going concern 赢利企业

concern 在该习语中作名词,意思是“商行,企业”;go指“上涨。增涨”。A going concern是指活跃或繁荣的企业或机构等,意即“赢利企业,正在前进的企业“。

A: What’s your overseas branch factory going? 你海外的分厂进展如何?
B: Not very good at first. It has been two years before it becomes a going concern. 开始不太理想,直到两年以后才开始赢利。
A: Once you break the ice, it will be better and better. 一旦打开局面,肯定会越来越好的。
B: I hope so. 但愿如此。

7.a leap in the dark 冒险举动

leap的意思是“跳,跳跃”。在黑暗中跳跃确实是一种冒险的举动,因此该词组引申为“瞎闯,冒险举动”。例如: His move to America was a leap in the dark.(他迁居美洲是件冒险的事。)

A: Are you sure you can make profits out of the investment? 你确信这次投资一定能获利吗?
B: I am not sure. It’s only a leap in the dark. 我也没有把握。这只是一次冒险。
A: And it’s the only chance for you to lead your company out of difficulties, isn’t it? 而且这也是你带领公司走出困境的唯一的机会,是吗?
B: Yeah. So I have to have a try. 是的。所以我必须一试。

8.a mare’s net 海市蜃楼的东西;镜花水月

a mare’s nest系to find a mare’s nest一语的一部分。这条成语从字面上看是“母马之巢”,当实际上母马是不筑巢的,即世间根本不存在什么“母马之巢”,因此其常被用作比喻,指“虚幻的事物”或“原以为重要后被证明为无用的发现物”。如果母马真能筑巢,也比然是乱七八糟的,故又由此引申出“混乱”、“乱糟糟的地方”等义。在英国德文郡(Devon)还有a blind mare’s nest这样的说法,用来比喻“无稽之谈”。

A: How is the case going? 案件进展得怎么样?
B: We have checked up on all the signatures. 我们查了所有的签字。
A: So you found something? 那你们发现了些什么东西吗?
B: No, the result is unbelievable. 没有,结果难以置信。
A: Why? 怎么啦?
B: It proved just to be a mare’s nest. 根本就是子虚乌有。
A: Why did that guy make up such a story? 为什么他编这么个故事呢?我怎么也不明白。
B: Some people are really unimaginable. 有些人就是让人无法想象。

9.a month of Sundays 很久,很长时间

一个月有28日至31日,“一个月的星期日”就意味着连续三十个星期。另一种解释是:一星期有七天,“一个月的星期日”可能意味着四个星期。总之,这个成语喻指“很长的时间”。例:He could easily have revenged himself by giving me a kick with heavy shoes on the head or the loins that would have spoiled my running for a month of Sundays.(他若要报仇,那很容易,只要用其沉重的靴尖向我头部或腰部一踢,就可使我长时间不能行走。)

A: How about this work? 这个工作怎样?
B: I think it will take me a month of Sundays to finish. 我想得花很长时间才能完成它。
A: You will have a long time to be very busy, right? 你又会忙一段时间了,是吗?
B: Yeah. To be very tired, too. 就是,也会很累。
A: In some way, it is good for us because we can learn lots of things from it. 在某种程度上,这对我们有好处,因为我们能从中学到很多东西。

10.a red carpet welcome 隆重的欢迎

在欢迎接贵宾时,人们通常都会在路上铺红地毯,因此铺了红地毯的欢迎就很隆重了。

A: How can they be so cold to me? 他们怎么能对我这么冷淡!
B: Then what are you expecting? A red carpet welcome? 那你还想怎么着?让他们列队欢迎你?
A: Not exactly, but at least they should be friendly to me. 倒也不是,至少他们得对我友好一点儿吧。
B: Don’t take it too much to heart. You will find them very helpful when you need them. 别太放在心上。你会发现用得着他们的时候他们还是挺帮忙的。

11. a rule of thumb 单靠经验或实践的方法;粗略而简便的方法

该语的字面意思是“大拇指的规则”,实际意义为“(根据实际经验和实践的)对事物粗略但实用的估计方法”。其出典有两种说法:一说源自旧时用拇指大略计算长度的做法;另一种说法源自昔日酿酒工人将拇指浸在所酿酒中估计温度的做法。

A: Do you think it’s a good idea to buy some traveler’s checks? 你认为买旅行支票是个好办法吗?
B: Definitely! Don’t carry large amounts of cash with you when you’re traveling. We have a rule of thumb: never carry around any more cash than you can afford to have stolen. To be on the safe side, you’d better ask for smaller denominations: $20 or $50. 没错。旅行时不要随身带大额现金。我们有个经验之法:随身携带的钱要适量,丢了不要紧。为了稳妥起见,你最好要小面额的:20或者元。
A: I was told that if you use traveler’s checks, you don’t countersign the check until the clerk in the store is watching you. 我听说在使用旅行支票时,要当着商店售货员的面签字。
B: Yes, you’ve got it. 你说得对。

12. a top banana 首领,掌权者

top banana主要用于美国俚语中,指“主要演员(尤指喜剧中),最重要的人物”。

A: The top banana asked you to fax this to the US office. 头儿让你把这个传真到美国的办事处。
B: Is this urgent? 急件吗?
A: Yes. 没错。

13. across the board 全面地

该习语的意思是“包括一切的,全面的”。例如:We’re aiming to increase productivity across the board.(我们旨在全面提高产量。)该习语还可以用来指“(赛马、赛狗等打赌时)押前三名”。

A: Do you know the last news? 你知道最新消息吗?
B: No, what? 不知道,什么呀?
A: We asked for a pay increase of 5% across the board yesterday. 昨天我们要求全部加薪5%。
B: Did the boss agree with you? 老板同意了?
A: No. He said they’d discuss it at the board meeting. 没有。他说要在董事会上讨论。
B: That’s just an alibi. 那是他的借口。

14. add up to 合计达;总括起来意味着

此语本义指“合计为”,在日常生活中多用喻义,即“总括起来意味着”。有时为了进一步强调,亦作all add up to。在使用中应注意与“add up”一词的区别。“add up”本指“把 … 加起来”,如:add up a column of figures(把一栏数字加起来);其喻义为“言之有理,说得通”,如:The facts just don’t add up.(这些事情合计起来不对头。)

A: The cashier said he had locked the safe before he left. 出纳说他走时把保险柜锁上了。
B: But how did the money disappear from it if it was locked? 如果锁上了那钱怎么没的?
A: I just wonder … 我只是奇怪 …
B: What do you think it all adds up to? 你想这一切意味着什么?
A: It adds up to the fact that we have been cheated. 意味着我们被骗了。

15. agree to differ 求同存异

agree to differ指的是“各自保留不同意见(不再说服对方)”,意即“求同存异”。

A: What do you mean? 你是什么意思?
B: Considering the major contracts they might give us, I overlooked the small loss. 考虑到他们可能与我们签订大宗合同,小小的损失我就忽略不计了。
A: So you agreed to differ? 所以你就求同存异?
B: That’s right. 没错。


16.all told 合计;总之

此语原义为“总计,合计”,引申为“总之”。如:All told,it was a great credit to them.(总之,这给他们大大增了光。)此语同in all同义。

A: How many people attended today’s meeting? 有多少人参加了今天的会议?
B: There were seventeen of us at the meeting, all told. 一共有十七个人。
A: Issue an announcement that if somebody doesn’t attend meeting next time, his or her bonus will be deducted. 发布一则通知,就说如果有人下一次不参加会议,他或她的奖金全扣。
B: Yes. 好的。

17.all wet 搞错了

wet原义为“湿的”,干活常把手弄湿,指某人“没经验的”。该习语多见于美国俚语,意为“大错特错,胡说,瞎扯”。

A: I made a reservation two days ago. My name is David Johnson. 我前天在这儿预订了房间,我叫戴维约翰逊。
B: Reservation? What do you mean? 预定?什么意思?
A: I booked a single room here for tonight. 我定了一间今晚的单人房。
B: Oh! You’re all wet, actually. This is not a hotel. The hotel is the building across the road. 哦,你搞错了。这不是旅馆,旅馆是路对过的那做楼。

18.an easy digging 轻而易举的事

dig做动词时有“集中精力于… 的意思”,往往用来指工作、学习。An easy digging指“学习轻松”,引申为“事情轻而易举”。

A: Do you think we can nurse our business back to life? 你说我们能让生意起死回生吗?
B: It’s not an easy digging. We’ll have to rack our brain and think of some effective measures. 这可不是件容易事。我们得绞尽脑汁想出一些行之有效的办法。
A: I seem to be at the end of my wits. I have got lost and don’t know where I’m going. 我可是黔驴技穷了。我有点茫然,不知道该干什么才好。
B: Never say die. The darkest hour is the nearest dawn. 别这么说,现在只是黎明前的黑暗。

19.any more 不再

此语用于否定句中,构成not … any more“不再”,与之同义的短语为not … any longer。与肯定句中的no more和no longer同义。区别在于not any longer和no longer都口语化。

A: I can’t take the job any longer. 我不能再干这份工作了。
B: If you need the money, you’ll just have to grin and bear it. 如果要想挣钱的话,你就得含笑忍辱。
A: I’d rather starve than suffer the torture of the beast! 我宁愿饿死也不受这份罪。
B: Don’t be childish and capricious. You want to change the world? No way, it is just the world that will change you. 别幼稚任性了。你想改变这个世界?决不可能的。只能是这世界改变你。
A: My God! The school life is really simple and free. But now I have it no more. 天呀!还是校园生活简单自由,可我不再拥有它了。

20.as easy as one’s eye 很容易

该习语是一种非正规的口语表达方式,类似的表达方式还有:as easy as anything/as ABC/as falling off a log/as winkling。这些短语指的是“很容易”。

A: Money is hard to earn these days. 这年头挣钱不容易。
B: To me, it’s as easy as my eye. 对我来说很容易。
A: You steal? Or rob? 去偷还是去抢?
B: Of course not. 当然不是。

21.as sure as eggs is eggs 毫无疑问,千真万确

此语与“蛋”可说没什么直接联系,其中eggs很可能系数学公式中x的讹误。它原作as sure as x is x,17世纪后始作(as)sure as eggs is eggs。有时亦作(as)sure as eggs are eggs。这条成语1699年在英国北部地区首先使用。

A: Do you think Peter will win this time? 你认为彼得这次会赢吗?
B: It’s impossible. 不大可能。
A: Why? 为什么?
B” He’s no match in force and skill. 体力和技巧上,他都不是对手。
A: You mean he’ll lose, as sure as eggs is eggs? 你是说他必定会输,确信无疑了?
B: Yeah, unless there is a miracle. 是这样,除非有奇迹发生。

22.as well 也,还,又;完全的,足够的

此语一指“也,还,又”;也可做副词短语,意义为“完全的,足够的”,如:Obviously she had been frightened out of wit, as well she might be.(显然她已经给吓得六神无主了,于她来说这也在情理之中。)与之相近的习语为as well as“(除 … 之外)也”,如:On Sundays, his landlady provided dinner as well as breakfast.(逢星期天,他的女房东除供应他早餐外,还供应他晚餐。)As well as 的另一意义为“和 … 一样”,如:He would like to go as well as you.(他和你一样想去。)

A: I’m going to ask the janitor to wash the floors in the halfway. 我要让看门的把走廊的地板清洗一下。
B: Would you ask him to clear the lobby as well? 请你让他把大厅也清洗一下好吗?
A: Ok. Can he do it well? 好吧,他能做好吗?
B: Yes, if he’s glad to. 能,只要他肯干。

23.ask for it 自找麻烦,自找苦吃

该习语是ask for trouble的非正规的口语表达方式。如:Don’t be late again, or you’ll ask for it.(别再迟到了,要不然你会自找苦吃的。)

A: Do you know what happened? 你猜怎么着?
B: Not an inkling. What’s happened? 猜不着,怎么了?
A: My girlfriend gave her boss a good piece of her mind. 我女朋友狠狠教训了她老板一顿。
B: He asked for it, I suppose. 我猜他是自找的。
A: Yeah. She is really something. 可不是么,她真了不起。

24.ask no odds 不要求特殊照顾

odds作名词时指的是“奇特的事物,怪人或奇数”,而短语ask no odds的意思为“不要求特殊照顾”。

A: Mr. Green, may I have a talk with you? 格林先生,我可以和你谈谈吗?
B: Of course. Wait a minute. Ok, now, what can I do for you, Miss? 当然可以了。请稍等。好啦,小姐,有什么我可以为您效劳的吗?
A: I ask no odds, I just want you to be fair and square. 我不要求特殊照顾,我只要求您公正。
B: I think I’m always fair and square. 我觉得我一直都是很公正的。
A: But not this time. I’ve done the most of the sales but you spilt the profit among all of us. 但这次把不是。我完成了大部分销售额,而你给我们所有人分配利润。

25.at a loose end 无所事事,无所适从

此语可以追溯到19世纪中期。一说此语源自航海,原表示“(绳索的)一端末系住”。一说原指“(衣带)垂下”。该语常有“因没有事做而感到不满”的含义。此语亦可作at loose ends。

A: It seems that he is unhappy. 看起来他不很高兴。
B: You’re right. He has been out of work for a long time. 就是。他已有些日子没工作了。
A: Have no any chance to try again? 没有什么机会再来一次吗?
B: No. So he is in low spirits. Don’t talk about the matter of work with him. OK? 没有。所以他情绪低落。别和他谈论工作的事,好吗?
A: Yeah. I got it. 我明白。
B: Thank you for caring about him and coming to see him. 谢谢你关心他,还来看他。
A: You’re welcome. I know everyone of us will feel discomfortable when we’re at a loose end. 别客气,我知道一个人无事可干的时候很不舒服。

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