你以為 birthday suit 是生日西裝,太天真了!
大家都知道英語中很多短語我們是不能直譯的,我們就必須知道多多積累其本土文化,才能真正地了解它的內(nèi)在含義。
比如這句“birthday suit”是不是很多小伙伴都會搞錯呢!
People said to be in their birthday suit are as naked as the day they were born.
所謂的生日西裝是指“赤*身*裸*體”,就像我們出生那天一樣。沒錯,birthday suit = nakedness
舉個例子:
The towel fell off, and there he was in his birthday suit!
浴巾掉了,他一絲不掛地出現(xiàn)在那里!
1.Fold like a cheap suit
Fold 作為動詞,意思是“折疊”,而作為名詞的意思是“褶痕”。
也許因?yàn)楸阋说奈餮b由于其材料薄而更容易起皺,
fold like a cheap suit 的意思是“沒什么阻力便服從、屈服或放棄”。
(To offer little resistance; to submit, yield, or give up very easily)舉個例子:
The suspect folded like a cheap suit after some pressure from the prosecution, signing a full confession for the crime.
在檢方的壓力下,嫌疑人輕易便屈服了,簽署了認(rèn)罪書。
2.Suit down to the ground
上面兩種用法中,suit 的意思都是“西裝、套裝”,而 suit 還有“合適”的意思。Suit down to the ground 指“情況非常理想,非常合適”。
(to be ideal for one)
舉個例子:
I'm cold all the time, so this hot weather really suits me down to the ground.
我經(jīng)常感覺很冷,所以這種炎熱的天氣真的很適合我。
3.Clothes make the man
我們常說的“人靠衣裝”,在英語中相應(yīng)的說法是 clothes make the man 。
舉個例子:
You can judge a man's character based on his clothing and appearance.你可以根據(jù)一個人的衣著和外表來判斷他的性格。
《哈姆雷特》中,莎士比亞筆下的波洛尼烏斯(Polonius)說過:"The apparel oft proclaims the man."Apparel指“(尤指正式場合穿的)衣服,(商店出售的)服裝”。
前綴 pro + claim = proclaim 意為“宣告、宣揚(yáng);明確顯示”。
雖然與 clothes make the man 用詞并不完全一樣,但意思都是相通的。
舉個例子:
I'm not surprised John was fired for cause—he never dressed professionally, and the clothes make the man.
我對約翰被解雇的原因并不感到驚訝——他從來不穿正裝,而人靠衣裝。
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