He is a preppy animal !

He is a preppy animal !  他是個衣冠禽獸!

preppy這個字最早指的是 去"preparatory school"的人
- Preppies are young people who have often been to an expensive private school and who are conventional and conservative in their attitudes, behaviour, and style of dress. (ref. 柯林斯字典) 



因為這些人家裡都很有錢,所以他們常常穿著光鮮亮麗,所以preppy慢慢跟"流行"有關係,講到preppy,人們腦袋會想到"Polo Ralph Lauren" "Lacoste""A&F"Tommy Hilfiger""Burberry"等等的名牌




當然,動物也可以穿的光些亮麗,我們就可以形容他是preppy dog! 


可是用人當主詞,就是罵人了, He is a preppy animal! 就是他雖然穿得光鮮亮麗,可是是隻動物 (衣冠禽獸) 

I've seen the light.

如果你本來對於要處理某些事情很困惑
經由別人的指導,或是查完資料後,
"知道該怎麼做"
這句話你會表達嗎???
大家一定都會說
I know what to do now.或
I know how to do it now.

有沒有其他表達方式呢???
其實外國人在這樣的狀況下,更會說的英文是
I've seen the light.
下一次,同樣的狀況下,知道怎麼做,可以換個比較符合狀況的表達法囉

Let's find a way out of this predicament !

讓我們想個法子來擺脫現在的困境吧!

predicament 是廣泛的形容"困境" (difficult or unpleasant situation)
 - If you are in a predicament, you are in an unpleasant situation that is difficult to get out of.

讓我們來看看有哪些predicament的狀況....








基本上比較通用的字 是 "difficulty"


還有另一個字 , dilemma , 這個字是形容"進退兩難" "難以抉擇"的窘境
- A dilemma is a difficult situation in which you have to choose between two or more alternatives.
例如 志玲姊 還有 雪芙妹 要選一個當老婆,  我就會進入dilemma的情況

She gives me a dirty look!

She gives me a dirty look!
他對我擺臭臉(表示不爽)....

dirty常常被用來表示"色情""髒"的,像是dirty joke就是色情笑話
dirty picture就是 色情圖片
You are so dirty. "你很下流"




但dirty look和色情扯不上關係, 它指的是"臉露出不爽的表情"
例如

You are an ideas man.

和朋友相處的時候,常會被鬼靈精怪的人給吸引
覺得怎麼"點子那麼多"
英文中怎麼表達"點子那麼多"呢???

很多人會說
You are full of ideas.
其實這樣很怪
音欸翻譯出來會變成"你整個人被點子給充滿了"
看起來好像是對的,但卻很台
怎麼講比較道地勒???
真正的講法是
You are an ideas man.
很簡單吧

Where do you come in the family?

"你是家中排行第幾?"
這句話你知道怎麼表達嗎???
可千萬不要說"Which number are you in in your family?"
這樣沒人聽的懂
真正的說法其實很簡單
"Where do you come in the family?"

I am on a roll now!

I am on a roll now!  (我現在手氣正好) (我現在一切都進行得很順利!) 



這句話可以形容 一切都很順利/成功, 例如
- Apple is on a roll, with new models of products in the pipeline. 
(隨著新產品一直推出, 蘋果一切都很順利) 

- The team were on a roll, winning nine games in a row. 
(這個球隊手氣正順,連續贏得9場比賽) 

My car is dented! T_T

My car is dented ! 我的車撞凹了 (板金凹了)



dent 這個字可以當成是 "把~弄凹"

- If you dent the surface of something, you make a hollow area in it by hitting or pressing it. (ref: 柯林斯字典)

所以我們可以用這個字來說,我的車子被撞凹了....
名詞可以當成"凹痕"

美國有一家連鎖店就是專門幫人板金的, 叫 "Dent Wizard"




但這個字名詞還有"牙齒", "齒狀物" 的意思,例如 齒輪的突起的那一頭
- a toothlike protuberance, esp the tooth of a sprocket or gearwheel (ref: 柯林斯字典)


再來的衍生字, dentist 各位應該都很熟了


-

My father brings home the bacon.

我們都會說媽媽是家庭主婦
但如果要你表達"家裡都是爸爸負責賺錢的"
你會嗎??
很多人會說
My father is responsible to make money for my family.
這樣表達大家都聽的懂
但是很台
下面的兩個說法比較道地喔

My father is the bread winner.
bread是麵包的意思,在西方國家也大都為其主食
winner是獲得的人
所以翻譯成"我爸爸是主要把麵包帶回來的人"

還可以說成
My father brings home the bacon.
bacon指的是火腿,也是西方主食
所以翻譯出來就是"我爸爸負責代火腿肉回家"

It's a woman's prerogative to change her mind.

It's a woman's prerogative to change her mind. (改變心意是女人的特權 )

這一句話其實很難
但是女生如果要跟男生爭吵的時候一定要學會

男生常常嫌女生很煩
一下想向東走
一下卻又向西
常長改來改去
當男生這時候跟你發牢騷時
用一句道地的英文回他
"It's a woman's prerogative to change her mind."

reach for the stars

reach for the stars字面上來說 是"摘星星" ....
其實可以表示 "追求卓越目標" ,"立定遠大志向"....

例如
Jim is the guy reaching for the stars....not like others  just staying where they are....




依照慣例,來首歌吧
希望大家都可以努力往自己的目標邁進吧!

I worked so hard, and I've gotten lazy
I gotta shine, I know just what to do


There was a time, I was so lonely
I never thought I'd be out of the dark
Deep in my heart, there was a longing
To never give up anything that I start
And I just can't believe that I'm here, and it feels good
I just can't believe that I've come so far
So come on, [...] something to [...] me
I'm flying away

I, I gotta reach for the stars, no matter how far they are
I gotta believe in life, I'm catching the stars to shine

I can't deny, the world is so crazy
Sometimes I wish I could just fly to the moon
I worked so hard, and I've gotten lazy
I gotta shine, I know just what to do
And I just can't believe that I'm here, and it feels good
I just can't believe that I've come so far
So come on, [...] something to [...] me
I'm flying away

I, I gotta reach for the stars, no matter how far they are
I gotta believe in life, I'm catching the stars to shine
To shine, to shine, to shine, to shine, to shine, to shine, to shine, to shine
To shine, to shine, to shine, to shine, to shine, to shine, to shine, to shine

I, I gotta reach for the stars, no matter how far they are
I gotta believe in life, I'm catching the stars to shine
To shine, to shine, to shine, to shine, to shine, to shine, to shine, to shine
To shine, to shine, to shine, to shine, to shine, to shine, to shine

I, I gotta reach for the stars, no matter how far they are
I gotta believe in life, I'm catching the stars to shine

I, I gotta reach for the stars, no matter how far they are
I gotta believe in life, I'm catching the stars to shine

Let's play it by ear.

Let's play it by ear.
這句話是什麼意思勒???
如果照字面上去翻
就會變成"讓我們用耳朵玩它"
這看起來很怪
其實它真正的意思是"當場再決定怎麼做吧"

ex:
Edward: Do you have any plan for the trip?
Hubert: No. Let's play it by ear.

going down

going down 向下....
這個動作會跟著主詞的不同有不同的意思

大部分都會以"東西""數值"來當主詞
例如, 美國最近的失業率減少了,景氣復甦了

 The U.S. unemployment rate is going down. 



或者 蘋果股價怎麼一直掉? 專家不是說他被低估了嗎?

How come Apple is going down even the valuations indicate that the stock is undervalued?



如果用"人"當主詞,就要很小心了.....

My boyfriend won’t go down on me.
我的男朋友不肯幫我下去......OOXX ....恩..你懂得 (B.J.) 



所以 ,當你進電梯,遇到一個人,你想問他電梯向下嗎? 
應該說  Is it going down? 
如果說成 Are you going down ? ..... 這...就 尖借了 .....

We are even now !

我們扯平了! 

A捉弄了B  ....B又去捉弄A .... B就說 我們扯平了! 
If Peter plays a trick on Alex, Alex will play a trick back on Peter. Alex thinks they're now even.

這樣的用法其實比較negative , 比較像是" eye for eye" (以眼還眼的感覺) 
基本上報復是永遠沒有扯平的一天,只會進入惡性循環(vicious cycle),正所謂冤冤相報何時了啊,窩咪陀佛! 



但其實也有比較正向的用法...
在Friends第一季, Phebe給你一個街友(homeless lady) 500美金, 街友不敢收, Phebe就說 "不然你請我一杯汽水好了,這樣我們就扯平了 (we are even) " 

It's my karmic debt!

在佛教裡有因果循環的觀念,常常會看到某某抱怨說:就是因為上輩子欠他,這輩子才跟他在一起....那麼跟老外要怎麼講"因果欠的債"呢? 

It's my karmic debt! (這是我的因果債啊!) 

這裡可以看看老外對於因果的解釋,基本上很符合現在我們認知的意義了.

Karma refers to the energy created as a result of your actions and relationships during your current and past lives. Karmic debt means that something negative happened in the past that must be addressed in the present or the future before you can continue to enjoy your life fully. 

Read more: What Is Karmic Debt? | eHow http://www.ehow.com/about_5108486_karmic-debt.html#ixzz2V9iCI64l