这期小编盘点了7组合water相关的俚语,一起来看看吧!
of the first water
品质最优的
这个说法源自于钻石贸易,半透明度越高的的钻石价值越高,也就是越像水的钻石品质越好,另外还有second water、third water 的说法,当然指的就是次于first water 的钻石。
例句:
He is a musician of the first water.
他是一位一流的音乐家。
可指某物“品质最佳、最上流的”,或是形容某人“最优秀、第一流的”,of + N. 就变成形容词,修饰of 前面的名词。
water down
稀释;弱化
若照字面上看,是“加水下去”的意思,没错,water down 有“加水稀释(饮料)”之意,另外还可以表示“弱化、淡化(观点等)”,这样才不会那么极端,进而让别人接受观点。
例句:
In the last weekly meeting, Tony watered down his personal perspective before he brought the proposal up to the table.
上礼拜的周会中,Tony在提出他的提案之前,先淡化了个人的观点。
water off a duck's back
不产生影响;耳边风
“水从鸭子背上掉落”?指“批评或告诫 对某人来说完全不痛不痒”,如耳边风。
例句:
The doctors tell us it's dangerous to smoke, but such good advice rolls off some people like water off a duck's back.
医生都告诉我们抽烟对身体有害的,可是这种劝告对于有些人来说就像耳边风一样,毫无作用。
water under the bridge
过眼云烟;无法挽回的事
“桥下的水”指的就是“过眼云烟、陈年往事”,如同桥下的水奔流入海,让人释怀、不再介意了。
例句:
Yes, we did have our disagreements but that's water under the bridge now.
是的,我们确实有过分歧,但是现在已经过去了。
keep one's head above water
困境、麻烦
字面上的意思是“让头维持在水面上”,由于英文里很喜欢用drowning (溺水)的意象来代表“困境、麻烦”,因此keep one's head above water 引申为“勉强度日”之意,通常指经济上的困境。
例句:
We have so little money that we can hardly keep our heads above water.
我们的钱太少了,几乎无法维持生活。
be in hot water (get into hot water)
陷入困境
即“陷入困境、惹上麻烦”之意,指因为做了某事而可能遭受批评、惩罚,如水深火热般难受。
例句:
A boy can be in hot water with his mother, if he comes into the house with dirty, wet shoes.
如果一个男孩穿着又脏又湿的鞋子进屋,他妈妈要找他麻烦了。
be in deep water
深陷困境
处于危险、易受伤害或麻烦的情况下,尤指遇到超出能力范围的事情。
例句:
Anthony is in deep water. If he doesn't pay off his debts, they're going to take everything he owns.
安东尼有麻烦了。如果他不还清债务,他们就会拿走他所有的东西。