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今天我们要学一个词组:up someone's sleeve。千万不要解释为"在谁的袖子上"。Up someone's sleeve是指某人的秘密。在报导美国国务卿秘密访问贝鲁特时,报纸说: "...if there were no secret visit up the Administration's sleeve ...." 意思是:要是当局不进行秘密访问,(那才是奇怪了...)。1 i3 j! ^: d- h% X2 b
1 }6 f2 _, Q. b8 j. Q人们不太喜欢那种什么事都要保密的人。People dislike those who often have something up their sleeve. 但是,一个妻子为丈夫举行生日聚会而事先不告诉他--The wife has something up her sleeve for his birthday party,这丈夫当然会非常高兴。今天我们学的一个词组是up someone's sleeve...( `' @, e0 J* s2 S! c$ [" t) v
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up someone's sleeve被解释成秘密,首先得是有什么东西被藏在袖子里了。这就让人想起中国旧式的长衫服式。长衫没口袋,穿长衫人有东西就只能往袖子里藏,所以秘密也就在袖子里了。所以这词对我们中国人来说不难理解。这个词组用来形容名词或动词都可以。上面的something up their sleeves(他们有什么东西藏着掖着)里,这一词组用来修饰名词;但在to laugh at someone up one's sleeve中,它就用来修饰动词了,比如: All the time he was laughing up his sleeve at them.=他一直在偷偷取笑他们。
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/ ?* B; p3 O" T% }6 B! o3 k如up one's sleeve与名词card 、ace 、idea等连用,可以表示某人有其他人所没有的办法。请看例句:- M5 p) V% k& \
3 V; S7 [7 r$ _( h: H/ ]% H1。If all these methods would not work, I still have a card up my sleeve.=如果这些方法都不管用,那我还有别人都不知道的另一招(还有牌出)。6 t0 g8 \$ O! d9 k$ m C
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2。 This casino has an ace up its sleeve. It will allow players to play from home and win prizes.=这家赌场有一(别人都还没有的)高招。它让玩家在家里(联网)就能玩并赢取大奖。
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3。If this plan doesn't work out I've still got a few ideas up my sleeve.=如果这一计划无法实现,我还有(别人还不知道的) 几个主意。- m! u; b. W) g& L/ m0 q
, ^& n1 O; b) R6 }$ C) z另一个用到sleeve的词组是wear something on one's sleeve. 这on one's sleeve有表明心迹明确告示的意思,与up one's sleeve正好相反。比如:
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1。Some people feel the need to wear their patriotism on their sleeve.=有些人总是觉得需要表明他们的爱国立场(把他们的爱国主义穿在他们的袖子上,以防别人不知道)。5 l! b( N8 c' H
6 `1 E7 [; ~' {! _1 |2。 She always wears her heart on her sleeve, so there's no doubt who she'll be supporting.=她把她的观点及感情都已亮明,所以不需要怀疑她支持谁。当然,如果不愿意表明心迹,你也可以说: I just don't like to wear my heart on my sleeve on this issue.
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在中国男女朋友之间为表明心迹要发重誓,经常会说"恨不得把心拿( 挖)出来给你看看"。在英语文化里,人们不仅把心拿出来,而且还别在袖子上。不仅仅在两情之间,在一些小事情上(如讨论议题、谁帮谁等等),也经常掏心窝子往衣袖上别。
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最后还有个非常实用的关于sleeve的词组,叫roll up one's sleeves。大人批评小孩做事不认真时常会说: 干活就要有个干活的样。是啊,人要是耷拉个袖子还怎么干活! 必须要把袖子卷起来。英语文化中也同此理,因此roll up one's sleeves不仅仅是把真的袖子卷起来,而且还有准备好认真干活的意思。例句:
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When he saw how much snow had fallen he simply rolled up his sleeves and went to find the shovel.=当他看到下了这么多雪时,他立马卷起袖子找铁锹(来要铲雪)。9 w* e6 |( Y, m% V- S$ Q
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注意: 这最后一个词组中,sleeves是复数,而前两个里都是单数。学外文必须学会观察那些中文里所没有的细节。 |
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