有不少美國人經(jīng)常到酒吧間去,一面喝酒,一面聊天。還有的人在心情不好的時(shí)候喜歡到酒吧間去喝酒解悶。我們今天要講的第一個(gè)俗語就是和這種習(xí)慣有關(guān)的。
To cry in one's beer,的意思是坐在酒吧間里對(duì)著啤酒哭,自己可憐自己。比如說,一個(gè)人在勸他的朋友:
例句-1: Come on, Joe! Instead of sitting around in a bar all day crying in your beer about not having any money, why not get off your bottom and go out and look for a job!
這個(gè)人說:行了,喬伊!與其成天坐在酒吧間里,為了沒有錢而可憐自己,你為什么不振作起來到外面去找個(gè)工作呢!"
看來自我可憐的人是沒有人同情的。下面這個(gè)例子是一個(gè)學(xué)生在發(fā)表他對(duì)同房間一個(gè)學(xué)生的看法:
例句-2: I'm tired of hearing my roommate crying in his beer about how hard it is to get good grades. If he'd stay home and study instead of going out every night, I'm sure he'd do a lot better in his classes.
這個(gè)學(xué)生說:我那同宿舍的同學(xué)老是自我可憐,說要得到好分?jǐn)?shù)是多么的難。我聽得都煩死了。要是他每天晚上呆在家里念書,而不是老出去玩,我肯定他的成績會(huì)好得多。
******
大家有沒有碰到過一種老是哭哭啼啼、抱怨日常生活中一些瑣事的人?美國人把這種人叫作:cry baby。大家都知道cry就是"哭",baby就是"小娃娃"。顧名思義,你們肯定知道cry baby的意思了。下面的例子又是一個(gè)人在勸他的朋友:
例句-3: Come on, Jack, you're twenty years old--don't be such a cry baby about everything. We all have our problems, but you ought to do something about them instead of just complaining.
這個(gè)人說:行啦,杰克,你已經(jīng)二十歲了,別有點(diǎn)兒事就哭。我們大家都會(huì)碰到一些問題的。但是,你得想辦法來解決問題,而不能老是抱怨。
許多人都怕去看牙大夫。但是,美國牙大夫一般都用麻藥。為了保護(hù)牙齒,大夫經(jīng)常安排病人每年清洗牙齒兩次。下面是一個(gè)爸爸在說他的兒子:
例句-4: Bill, don't be such a cry baby about going to the dentist: all he's going to do is clean your teeth. Look at your little sister--she's not making a fuss about it.
這位爸爸說:比爾,別為了去看牙就哭哭啼啼的。他只是替你洗洗牙而已??纯茨愕拿妹?,她就沒有這樣大驚小怪的。