【大紀元3月26日訊】

李華和Larry討論情人節的安排。今天我們要學兩個常用語：born yesterday和head over heels.

LL: So, Lihua, I know you said that you didn’t want me to buy a Valentine’s Day gift for you, but I wasn’t born yesterday. I can tell you’re expecting something romantic.

LH: 我情人節唯一的願望就是能跟你一起渡過！我們可以一起做晚飯，然後去看電影。你剛才說自己wasn’t born yesterday是什麼意思啊？

LL: Saying someone was born yesterday, means that they are very easy to fool. I said that I wasn’t “born yesterday” because you can’t fool me.

LH: 我知道了，說什麼人was born yesterday意思就是說這個人容易受騙，有點像中文裡說的「三歲小孩。」

LL: That’s right. Even though you won’t admit it, I think you would love to receive some flowers or chocolates for Valentine’s Day.

LH: 你心真細！不過，我確實不想要什麼禮物，跟你在一起就足夠了。不過你別生氣，我可不是說你傻。

LL: No, you didn’t call me foolish. In the US, stating that you “weren’t born yesterday” is a way to joke around with friends. If you say that you “weren’t born yesterday,” you’re expressing that you aren’t gullible.

LH: 我明白了，you said you weren’t born yesterday ，是因為你覺得我肯定想要你送情人節禮物給我。

LL: We both know I wasn’t really born yesterday. What I meant was that I have known you for so long that I can tell you are looking forward to a romantic Valentine’s Day gift.

LH: 你可真夠固執的。那你說，born yesterday什麼時候才會帶有貶義呢？

LL: If you are speaking with someone, for example one of your students, who don’t know who Zhang Ziyi is, and you say ‘Were you born yesterday? She’s a famous Chinese movie star!

LH: 那別人肯定會不高興。這就等於是說，你怎麼連這都不知道！

LL: That’s right. Asking someone if they were “born yesterday” implies that they misunderstood a subject that is rather simple to understand or that is common knowledge.

******

LL: Lihua, did you get the flowers I sent to you for Valentine’s Day? You know I’m head over heels for you, so tonight when we make dinner together I have another special gift to give you.

LH: 你真是太浪漫了。我早就說過，情人節最好的禮物就是能跟你在一起。你剛才說head over heals? 你摔到哪裏了嗎？

LL: No, that’s not what I meant to say. I didn’t literally fall down. I said I’m “head over heels” for you, because you are very special and I like you a lot.

LH: 我也很喜歡你，粉紅色的玫瑰花是我最喜歡的，不過我還是不明白，head over heels怎麼能用來形容愛慕之情呢？

LL: In the US, it is most common to say that you have fallen “head over heels” in love for a person. This is an exaggerated way to say that you have fallen in love.

LH: 真有意思，中文裡說，一下子陷入愛河不能自拔，叫「神魂」顛倒，可是英語裡卻用頭和腳來形容， head over heels。可是這也講不通啊，頭明明是在腳上面啊。

LL: It is obvious that the term “head over heels” doesn’t make literal sense, but it still communicates a state of being so smitten with a person that one could jump and flip for joy.

LH: 沒想到，Larry, 你在這方面還挺在行的。那你知道這種說法是什麼時候出現的嗎？

LL: This phrase actually originated in the 1400’s as “heels over head,” and didn’t have anything to do with expressing love-struck devotion. But over the years it became “head over heels,” and is only used to express feeling suddenly smitten for a boyfriend or girlfriend.

LH: 不管怎麼說，head over heels這種說法用在情人節，簡直是太恰當不過了。 Larry, 你送的玫瑰太美了，You’ve really shown that you are “head over heels” for me. 這是我渡過的最浪漫的情人節。

今天李華學了兩個常用語。一個是born yesterday, 意思是三歲小孩。還有一個是head over heels， 意思是為某人神魂顛倒。

　
美國習慣用語
美國習慣用語第439講

我們上次講了以hold為關鍵詞的兩個習慣用語。第一個是: hold down the fort。 Hold down the fort意思是暫時承擔，頂替他人的工作。我們還學了個習慣用語: left holding the bag。 Left holding the bag含義為別人承擔罪責，揹黑鍋。

今天我們還要講幾個由hold發展而來的習慣用語。大家知道hold這個詞最基本的意思是「拿著。」例如在下面的習慣用語裡: can’t hold a candle to somebody。 Candle是蠟燭，所以hold a candle就是手持蠟燭。

習慣用語can’t hold a candle to somebody來自四百多年前還沒電燈，用蠟燭照明的年代。當時人們如果必須在黑夜步行前往某地就會在街上僱傭個小伙子為自己拿蠟燭在前面照明引路。而劇場的舞台四周也有人手持蠟燭照明。這樣人們才看得見台上演員的表演。

手持蠟燭為他人照明的工作被看作是不用腦筋而低人一等的差事。這就是can’t hold a candle to somebody這個習慣用語的出典。

那麼它作為習慣用語含義究竟是什麼呢？我們聽個例子來琢磨。說話的人狂熱地崇拜風靡六十年代的The Beatles搖滾樂隊。也有人把這個樂隊稱為「披頭士」樂隊。

例句-1：Right – the Beatles were fantastic. Their music is still popular now. They were the greatest! Nobody has come along afterwards who can hold a candle to them.

他說：對，甲殼蟲樂隊實在棒極了。他們的樂曲至今仍然流行。他們是登峰造極的，後來一直沒人能跟他們比美。

這位忠實的Beatles樂迷認為Beatles是最偉大的搖滾樂隊，後來的任何樂隊簡直都不配當為他們舉燭照明的小廝。所以can’t hold a candle to somebody意思是比某人差多了。

******

我們再聽個例子。這回是個球迷在讚譽他心目中最偉大的籃球明星喬丹。

例句-2：I’m talking about Michael Jordan，Number 23，who played for the the Chicago Bulls. He set all sorts of records and won four world titles. Nobody can hold a candle to him.

他說：我說的是Michael Jordan，就是以前芝加哥公牛隊的二十三號。他創下各種各樣的記錄，並且四次奪取世界錦標。任何人跟他相比都望塵莫及。

這段話裡的nobody can hold a candle to him，意思也是任何人都跟他差得很遠。

******

不知大家記不記得我們以前學過的一個習慣用語hold one’s horses? 它用來要求對方耐一下性子，別著急或者發火。

這個習慣用語來自久遠的年代，當時最快速的交通工具是馬拉的驛車。現代人的交通來往當然便利快速得多了。電話是人們最方便的聯繫方式之一，因為通過電話人們能立即交換信息，於是就產生了另一個與hold one’s horses意義相彷的習慣用語: hold the phone。習慣用語hold the phone可不是指拿著電話。它跟打電話無關。

剛才說過它的意思和hold the horses差不多，也用來要求某人耐心點兒，別急著說什麼或趕著做什麼。

我們聽個例子。說話的人正在辦公室會議上作工作匯報，但是邊上有個同事一而再，再而三地打斷他的談話。他實在忍無可忍了，於是說了這樣幾句話表示抗議。

例句-3：Look，could you hold the phone and stop interrupting me! Do me a favor and listen to what I have to say – let me finish the report before you ask any more questions.

他說：瞧，你按捺一下別再打斷我好不好？幫我個忙，讓我把該說的話說完，聽完我的匯報之後，你再問你的問題。

這段話裡的hold the phone含義是按捺一下，別急著發表高見。這個說法比較隨便，通常用在相當熟悉的朋友，同事或家人間，要是對上級領導說話，可能就不會用上它了。(//www.dajiyuan.com)