「美国习惯用语」第十八讲
A stuffed shirt
To give you the shirt off his back
在美国英语中,人们穿着的各种服装名称经常是组成一些习惯用语的主要成份。今天我们再讲两个由shirt这个字组成的俗语。第一个是:A stuffed shirt。Stuffed这个字有好几种解释,有时是指装的满满的。在某种情况下是吃得过饱的意思。那末 ,a stuffed shirt 是什么意思呢?A stuffed shirt是指那些爱摆架子,表现得神气十足的人。对于这种人最好是敬而远之。这种人既傲慢,又顽固,自以为了不起,他们参加任何社交活动都不受人欢迎。我们现在来举个例子吧:
例句-1: "My boss is a stuffed shirt: all he talks about is how important his ancestors are, how he was number one in his class at his university, and the wonderful things he thinks he's done for our company."
这个人说:“我的老板老是爱摆架子,吹嘘自己。他一开口就是说他的祖先的地位有多么重要,他在大学念书时又如何成为他们班里的第一名,还自称对我们公司作出了多大的贡献等等。”
下面这个例子是一个选民在谈论他对候选人的看法:
例句-2: "I think I'll vote for Jimmy Brown instead of the other guy James Leland Elegant the third. Jimmy ins't a stuffed shirt like Elegant -- he's a friendly, informal guy like us ordinary people."
他说:“我想我会投布朗的票,而不投那个看来很高雅的利兰。布朗不像利兰那末神气活现。他很友好、随和,就像我们普通老百姓一样。”
我们再来讲一个和shirt这个字有关的俗语:To give you the shirt off his back.。从字面上来解释,to give you the shirt off his back 就是把他的衬衣从背上拿下来给你。一个人要是肯把衬衣脱下来给你的话,那就是一个在你患难的时候能拿出他所有的一切,包括他的衬衣,来帮忙的人。这种朋友是很可贵的。下面我们来举一个例子。这是一个女孩在和朋友说她的父亲:
例句-3: "Of course Dad gets mad at me sometimes for no good reason. But if I ever need it, I know he would give me the shirt off his back."
这是说:“我父亲有时对我发火也不见得有什么道理。但是,只要我需要,他总是会尽一切力量帮助我的。”
不仅是父亲,那怕是在一般人当中,这种好心人也是不难找到的。例如下面这句句子里谈到的这个人:
例句-4: "Pete never says very much. But when he hears about somebody who's sick in the hospital or lost his job, he's always the first to put his hand in his pocket and bring out money to help. Yes, sir, he's the kind of man who'd give you the shirt off his back."
这句话的意思是:“皮特这个人平时话不多。但是,每当他听说某人有病进了医院,或失了业,他总是第一个拿钱出来帮忙。是的,他是这种会尽力帮助别人的人。”
今天我们讲了两个和shirt这个字有关的成语,一个是:A stuffed shirt,这是指那些爱摆架子,表现得神气十足的人。 另外一个成语是 To give you the shirt off his back,这是指尽自己的力量帮助别人。
--由英语编辑