第八節(jié)：成語的挑戰(zhàn)
—— 體現(xiàn)地道英語真功夫！
【瘋狂短評】
本節(jié)為大家提供了許多具有挑戰(zhàn)性的、有趣的、地道的美國成語。無疑，學(xué)會熟練使用成語總是會令人感到震驚并留下深刻的印象。
【Kim’s Note】 Everyday language really is filled with idioms. People use idioms because they are an effective way to communicate an idea so that everyone understands it easily. Of course, if English is your second language, idioms make a conversation more difficult to understand. The best way to master idioms, is to practice speaking them in useful sentences. The following dialogues show you how they occur in everyday conversations.
Kill Two Birds With One Stone
一舉兩得 / 一箭雙雕
A: Is there anything I can do for you, Stone? I’d like to help you in some way if I can.
有什么需要我?guī)兔Φ膯?，石頭? 我希望能盡點力，幫你點什么。
B: I can’t think of anything at the moment, but I know there is something important I have to do
today. It just slipped my mind!
一下子我也想不起來，我只知道今天確實有要事要辦，我都給忘得一干二凈了！
A: Well, it will come to you eventually. Maybe I could run some errands for you or something.
別急，你到底會想起來的。也許我能幫你跑跑腿什么的。
B: Ah! I remember! I need to cash a check because I’m going on a trip to New York next week.
Actually, I want to buy some traveler’s checks. You can drive me to the bank if you have time.
??！我想起來了！我得兌換支票，因為我下星期要到紐約去旅游。事實上，我想買些
旅行支票。如果你有時間不妨載我到銀行去。
A: You remembered just in the nick of time. The bank will be closed tomorrow for a holiday!
還好你在這時候想起來了，明天是節(jié)假日，銀行要關(guān)門的。
B: Do you think it’s a good idea to buy some traveler’s checks?
你覺得買旅行支票合適嗎？
A: 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.
那是肯定的！旅行時不要隨身帶太多的現(xiàn)金。我們的經(jīng)驗之談是：“隨身帶錢要適量，丟了也不會太心疼?！睘榱税踩鹨姡愫靡┟骖~較小的貨幣，如二十元或五十元。
B: Thanks for your advice. I have some questions to ask you concerning health insurance, too. And maybe you could clue me in on American tax laws too. It’s so hard to learn all the differences between America and China in such a short time. You really are a big help.
謝謝你的建議。我還想問你一些關(guān)于醫(yī)療保險方面的問題，或許你還可以給我介紹一下美國的稅法。你知道要在這么短的時間里就搞清楚美國和中國所有的差異有多難，你真是幫了大忙。
A: No problem. Actually the insurance business is also done at the bank. Let’s go. We can kill two birds with one stone.
沒問題。其實銀行也做醫(yī)療保險方面的業(yè)務(wù)。走吧，我們可以一舉兩得。
B: Thanks a million, if you ever have any questions about doing business in China, I hope I can help you as much as you’ve helped me.
太感謝了。如果你對在中國做生意有任何問題，我希望我可以幫助你就像你現(xiàn)在幫助我一樣。財富大檢閱】
第一筆財富：
slip one’s mind: escape one’s memory; someone forgets something 使某人一時想不起來；忘記某事
【Kim’s Note】 This is a softer way of saying, “I forgot”. For some reason, people are more accepting of this excuse than they are of simply saying “I forgot.”
* I meant to call you when I got to Beijing but I was so busy it slipped my mind.
（我本來是打算到北京就給你打電話的，但是我太忙了，所以就忘了。）
* Sometimes his own telephone number would slip his mind.
（有時候他會把自己的電話號碼給忘記。）
* My aunt asked me to take care of her dog today while she’s out. But it totally slipped my mind.
（阿姨叫我在她外出時照看一下她的狗，可我把它給忘得一干二凈了。）
* It had slipped my mind that you were arriving today.
（我把你今天抵達的事忘記了。）
第二筆財富：
(something) come to someone: (something) occur to someone / strike someone 某人想起某事；（思想意識等）到某人腦子里
* Her name finally came to him.
（他終于記起了她的姓名。）
* The idea just came to me.
（我剛剛想出這主意。）
* I’m trying to remember the address of the hotel, but it just won’t come to me.
（我努力回想賓館地址，但就是想不起來。）
第三筆財富：
go on / run errands: go on a short trip in order to do something for someone or deliver a message 跑腿；為某人辦事；出差
* I have a lot of errands to run this morning for my boss.
（今天早上老板交給我好多跑腿的事。）
* It’s the children’s job to run errands for the parents.
（為父母跑跑腿是孩子們應(yīng)該做的事情。）
* He was tired of running errands for his sister.
（他已厭煩給姐姐當(dāng)跑腳了。）
第四筆財富：
in the nick of time: just in time; at the necessary moment 恰好；正是時候
* The fight was getting out of control. It was lucky the police arrived in the nick of time.
（斗毆失去了控制，幸好這時候警察來了。）
* They arrived in the nick of time to save us.
（在緊要關(guān)頭他們正好趕到來救我們。）
* You got here in the nick of time – the train’s just leaving.
（你來得真是時候 —— 火車正要開。）
第五筆財富：
rule of thumb: a way learned by practical experience; a quick and not very exact way of doing
something 單靠經(jīng)驗或?qū)嵺`得來的方法；粗略而簡便的方法
* I never measure rice and water when I’m cooking – I just do it by rule of thumb.
（我做飯時，從不量米量水，只憑經(jīng)驗。）
* We don’t have a written policy on dating in the office but I’ve learned from rule of thumb that it’s a bad idea.
（對于辦公室戀情我們沒有明文規(guī)定，但是我憑經(jīng)驗就知道那不是什么好事。）
* As a rule of thumb, you should cook a chicken for 20 minutes for each pound that it weighs.
（憑經(jīng)驗估計，每磅雞肉應(yīng)烹調(diào)20分鐘。）
第六筆財富：
on the safe side: take a precaution in order to avoid a risk or loss; just to be sure 為了穩(wěn)妥起見；以防萬一；安全地
* Take some extra money with you just to be on the safe side.
（以防萬一，你還是多帶點錢在身上。）
* I always carry some medicine with me whenever I’m traveling, just to be on the safe side.
（旅行時，我總是隨身帶著藥，以防萬一。）
* You’d better make a copy of your Identity Card, just to be on the safe side.
（你好把身份證復(fù)印一份，以防萬一。）
* Although the sun was shining the other day, my father took the umbrella with him to be on the safe side.
（雖然那天陽光明媚，我父親還是帶上了雨傘以防不測。）
第七筆財富：
clue someone in: give someone necessary information for understanding something or finding an answer 向某人提供必要的情況；使他對此情況有所了解
* I just don’t understand what’s going on and I don’t want to just wait around for someone to clue me in!
（我不明白出現(xiàn)了什么情況，我不想就這樣傻等著誰來告訴我。）
* I’m a newcomer here. I would really appreciate it if you could clue me in on the library of the school.
（我新來乍到，如果你能給我介紹一下學(xué)校的圖書館，我將不勝感激。）
* Since I missed the last meeting, I would like to have you clue me in on what happened.
（我錯過了上次的會議，請你給我介紹一下上次談判的情況。）
* He will clue you in about this.
（關(guān)于這件事，他會給你提供情況的。）
第八筆財富：
kill two birds with one stone: do two things at the same time 一箭雙雕；一舉兩得
* If you are going to America on a business trip next week, you could kill two birds with one stone and
do your Christmas shopping at the same time.
（如果你下星期去倫敦出差，你可以一舉兩得，同時在那兒購買圣誕禮物。）
* I always get my nails manicured while I get my hair cut, that way I can kill two birds with one stone.
（每次我去剪頭發(fā)的時候都會修指甲，這樣我可以一舉兩得。）
【瘋狂實戰(zhàn)】
A: Since you’re going to pick up Nancy from the fitness class, why don’t you kill two birds with one stone and pick up Jane after her ballet class?
（你既然去健身班接南茜，那你順便把上完芭蕾舞課的珍尼接回來好嗎？）
B: OK, no problem.
（可以，沒問題。）
—— 體現(xiàn)地道英語真功夫！
【瘋狂短評】
本節(jié)為大家提供了許多具有挑戰(zhàn)性的、有趣的、地道的美國成語。無疑，學(xué)會熟練使用成語總是會令人感到震驚并留下深刻的印象。
【Kim’s Note】 Everyday language really is filled with idioms. People use idioms because they are an effective way to communicate an idea so that everyone understands it easily. Of course, if English is your second language, idioms make a conversation more difficult to understand. The best way to master idioms, is to practice speaking them in useful sentences. The following dialogues show you how they occur in everyday conversations.
Kill Two Birds With One Stone
一舉兩得 / 一箭雙雕
A: Is there anything I can do for you, Stone? I’d like to help you in some way if I can.
有什么需要我?guī)兔Φ膯?，石頭? 我希望能盡點力，幫你點什么。
B: I can’t think of anything at the moment, but I know there is something important I have to do
today. It just slipped my mind!
一下子我也想不起來，我只知道今天確實有要事要辦，我都給忘得一干二凈了！
A: Well, it will come to you eventually. Maybe I could run some errands for you or something.
別急，你到底會想起來的。也許我能幫你跑跑腿什么的。
B: Ah! I remember! I need to cash a check because I’m going on a trip to New York next week.
Actually, I want to buy some traveler’s checks. You can drive me to the bank if you have time.
??！我想起來了！我得兌換支票，因為我下星期要到紐約去旅游。事實上，我想買些
旅行支票。如果你有時間不妨載我到銀行去。
A: You remembered just in the nick of time. The bank will be closed tomorrow for a holiday!
還好你在這時候想起來了，明天是節(jié)假日，銀行要關(guān)門的。
B: Do you think it’s a good idea to buy some traveler’s checks?
你覺得買旅行支票合適嗎？
A: 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.
那是肯定的！旅行時不要隨身帶太多的現(xiàn)金。我們的經(jīng)驗之談是：“隨身帶錢要適量，丟了也不會太心疼?！睘榱税踩鹨姡愫靡┟骖~較小的貨幣，如二十元或五十元。
B: Thanks for your advice. I have some questions to ask you concerning health insurance, too. And maybe you could clue me in on American tax laws too. It’s so hard to learn all the differences between America and China in such a short time. You really are a big help.
謝謝你的建議。我還想問你一些關(guān)于醫(yī)療保險方面的問題，或許你還可以給我介紹一下美國的稅法。你知道要在這么短的時間里就搞清楚美國和中國所有的差異有多難，你真是幫了大忙。
A: No problem. Actually the insurance business is also done at the bank. Let’s go. We can kill two birds with one stone.
沒問題。其實銀行也做醫(yī)療保險方面的業(yè)務(wù)。走吧，我們可以一舉兩得。
B: Thanks a million, if you ever have any questions about doing business in China, I hope I can help you as much as you’ve helped me.
太感謝了。如果你對在中國做生意有任何問題，我希望我可以幫助你就像你現(xiàn)在幫助我一樣。財富大檢閱】
第一筆財富：
slip one’s mind: escape one’s memory; someone forgets something 使某人一時想不起來；忘記某事
【Kim’s Note】 This is a softer way of saying, “I forgot”. For some reason, people are more accepting of this excuse than they are of simply saying “I forgot.”
* I meant to call you when I got to Beijing but I was so busy it slipped my mind.
（我本來是打算到北京就給你打電話的，但是我太忙了，所以就忘了。）
* Sometimes his own telephone number would slip his mind.
（有時候他會把自己的電話號碼給忘記。）
* My aunt asked me to take care of her dog today while she’s out. But it totally slipped my mind.
（阿姨叫我在她外出時照看一下她的狗，可我把它給忘得一干二凈了。）
* It had slipped my mind that you were arriving today.
（我把你今天抵達的事忘記了。）
第二筆財富：
(something) come to someone: (something) occur to someone / strike someone 某人想起某事；（思想意識等）到某人腦子里
* Her name finally came to him.
（他終于記起了她的姓名。）
* The idea just came to me.
（我剛剛想出這主意。）
* I’m trying to remember the address of the hotel, but it just won’t come to me.
（我努力回想賓館地址，但就是想不起來。）
第三筆財富：
go on / run errands: go on a short trip in order to do something for someone or deliver a message 跑腿；為某人辦事；出差
* I have a lot of errands to run this morning for my boss.
（今天早上老板交給我好多跑腿的事。）
* It’s the children’s job to run errands for the parents.
（為父母跑跑腿是孩子們應(yīng)該做的事情。）
* He was tired of running errands for his sister.
（他已厭煩給姐姐當(dāng)跑腳了。）
第四筆財富：
in the nick of time: just in time; at the necessary moment 恰好；正是時候
* The fight was getting out of control. It was lucky the police arrived in the nick of time.
（斗毆失去了控制，幸好這時候警察來了。）
* They arrived in the nick of time to save us.
（在緊要關(guān)頭他們正好趕到來救我們。）
* You got here in the nick of time – the train’s just leaving.
（你來得真是時候 —— 火車正要開。）
第五筆財富：
rule of thumb: a way learned by practical experience; a quick and not very exact way of doing
something 單靠經(jīng)驗或?qū)嵺`得來的方法；粗略而簡便的方法
* I never measure rice and water when I’m cooking – I just do it by rule of thumb.
（我做飯時，從不量米量水，只憑經(jīng)驗。）
* We don’t have a written policy on dating in the office but I’ve learned from rule of thumb that it’s a bad idea.
（對于辦公室戀情我們沒有明文規(guī)定，但是我憑經(jīng)驗就知道那不是什么好事。）
* As a rule of thumb, you should cook a chicken for 20 minutes for each pound that it weighs.
（憑經(jīng)驗估計，每磅雞肉應(yīng)烹調(diào)20分鐘。）
第六筆財富：
on the safe side: take a precaution in order to avoid a risk or loss; just to be sure 為了穩(wěn)妥起見；以防萬一；安全地
* Take some extra money with you just to be on the safe side.
（以防萬一，你還是多帶點錢在身上。）
* I always carry some medicine with me whenever I’m traveling, just to be on the safe side.
（旅行時，我總是隨身帶著藥，以防萬一。）
* You’d better make a copy of your Identity Card, just to be on the safe side.
（你好把身份證復(fù)印一份，以防萬一。）
* Although the sun was shining the other day, my father took the umbrella with him to be on the safe side.
（雖然那天陽光明媚，我父親還是帶上了雨傘以防不測。）
第七筆財富：
clue someone in: give someone necessary information for understanding something or finding an answer 向某人提供必要的情況；使他對此情況有所了解
* I just don’t understand what’s going on and I don’t want to just wait around for someone to clue me in!
（我不明白出現(xiàn)了什么情況，我不想就這樣傻等著誰來告訴我。）
* I’m a newcomer here. I would really appreciate it if you could clue me in on the library of the school.
（我新來乍到，如果你能給我介紹一下學(xué)校的圖書館，我將不勝感激。）
* Since I missed the last meeting, I would like to have you clue me in on what happened.
（我錯過了上次的會議，請你給我介紹一下上次談判的情況。）
* He will clue you in about this.
（關(guān)于這件事，他會給你提供情況的。）
第八筆財富：
kill two birds with one stone: do two things at the same time 一箭雙雕；一舉兩得
* If you are going to America on a business trip next week, you could kill two birds with one stone and
do your Christmas shopping at the same time.
（如果你下星期去倫敦出差，你可以一舉兩得，同時在那兒購買圣誕禮物。）
* I always get my nails manicured while I get my hair cut, that way I can kill two birds with one stone.
（每次我去剪頭發(fā)的時候都會修指甲，這樣我可以一舉兩得。）
【瘋狂實戰(zhàn)】
A: Since you’re going to pick up Nancy from the fitness class, why don’t you kill two birds with one stone and pick up Jane after her ballet class?
（你既然去健身班接南茜，那你順便把上完芭蕾舞課的珍尼接回來好嗎？）
B: OK, no problem.
（可以，沒問題。）