美國習(xí)慣用語43 全力以赴方能逢兇化吉
我們在一般情況下都不太會注意我們的腳,除非你感到腳痛或有什么其他毛病??墒?,腳這個字,也就是英文里的 foot, 卻不時出現(xiàn)在美國成語或俗語里,有時我們的 foot 把我們引向成功,有時卻給我們帶來許多麻煩,這全在于我們怎么用這個字了。
比如說,你正在找工作,和某個公司約好了去面談,或者你第一次要去和一位異性會面,這個時候你就想要給他們一個好印象。這在英文里就是to put your best foot forward。為了給人造成一個好印象,也就是說to put your best foot forward,你在去面談前肯定會盡量把衣服穿得體面一些,在和人面談的過程中臉上還老是笑容可掬。
下面這個例子就是某人在給別人出主意,如何設(shè)法給招工的單位一個好印象:
例句-1:Better get a haircut before you go to that job interview tomorrow. You want to put your best foot forward because there are twenty other people after the same job.
這個人在勸他的朋友。他說:“你明天去那個公司面談前最好去理一下發(fā)。你得給他們一個好印象才行,因?yàn)橛卸鄠€人都在爭奪這個工作?!?/p>
我們再來舉一個例子說明怎么樣用 how to put your best foot forward:
例句-2:I finally got a date with that girl I've been trying to go out with so long. So I'm putting my best foot forward and sending her a dozen roses and a box of chocolates before I pick her up tomorrow.
這個人說:“我總算和那個女孩約好了明天一起出去玩,這是我長久以來所夢寐以求的。所以,我在明天去接她前先送她一打玫瑰花和一盒巧克力,這樣好給她一個好印象?!?/p>
你難免有的時候會在生活中或工作中碰到一些麻煩和困難,可是,要是你很聰敏或者是很幸運(yùn)的話,那么這些麻煩和困難都能得到解決。美國有一個俗語就是形容這種情況的。這個俗語就是to land on your feet。
To land on your feet的字面意思是:你的腳站在地上??墒撬拇_切含義是:你在經(jīng)歷了一些困難后最后又回到一個穩(wěn)定的狀態(tài),也可以說是逢兇化吉了。那么,這個俗語的出處是什么呢?有的語言專家認(rèn)為,這個俗語可能來自對貓的觀察。你也許注意到,當(dāng)一只貓從樹上掉下來的時候,它表現(xiàn)出一種特殊的技能:它能在空中還沒有落地之前調(diào)整自己身體的姿勢,從而使自己平安地落地。我們來舉一個例子吧:
例句-3:My brother Joe got fired for never coming to work on time, but he landed on his feet and found another job that paid twice as much money.
這個人說:“我的弟弟因老是不準(zhǔn)時上班而被公司解雇了??墒?,他倒是逢兇化吉又找到了一份工作,而且工資還加了一倍。”
經(jīng)濟(jì)問題在美國是經(jīng)常發(fā)生的。下面又是一個例子:
例句-4: Mr. Green is one of these people who's not afraid to put his money into some very risky investments. Sometimes he'll lose out, but somehow he usually manages to land on his feet and find money to put into something else that makes a profit.
這個人說:“格林先生就是那種不怕冒很大危險(xiǎn)去投資的人。有時,他也確實(shí)會虧本,但是他總是會逢兇化吉,找到錢去投資生財(cái)?shù)??!?/p>
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put one's best foot forward 全力以赴,給人留下一個好印象
例句:Better get a haircut before you go to that job interview tomorrow. You want to put your best foot forward because there are twenty other people after the same job. 你明天去那個公司面談前最好去理一下發(fā)。你得給他們一個好印象才行,因?yàn)橛卸鄠€人都在爭奪這個工作。
land on your feet 逢兇化吉
例句:Mr. Green is one of these people who's not afraid to put his money into some very risky investments. Sometimes he'll lose out, but somehow he usually manages to land on his feet and find money to put into something else that makes a profit. 格林先生就是那種不怕冒很大危險(xiǎn)去投資的人。有時,他也確實(shí)會虧本,但是他總是會逢兇化吉,找到錢去投資生財(cái)?shù)摹?/p>