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英语中,"shirt"最常见的意思是“衬衫”,但实际上这个词含义丰富,跟不同词搭配都有丰富的内涵,远超我们的想象,今天小新就和大家分享“shirt”那些让人大跌眼镜的用法
1
eat one’s shirt
“吃掉某人的衬衫”?这翻译起来也太奇怪了!实际上这个词的含义丰富,小新主要分享两个意思
“亏本,蒙受损失”。英文释义是“To take a loss on a wasted or unfruitful investment”(在浪费或没有结果的投资上蒙受损失)。
例:I ended up having to eat my shirt on the cost of the lumber for the new shed after it was ruined by the rain.大雨把新棚子毁了,我最后只能白白损失木材的费用。
收回前言,承认说错话To face the repercussion of being incorrect after one's claim, boast, or assertion is refuted; to eat one's words.在主张、吹嘘或断言被驳斥后,面对不正确的后果,承认说错话
例:You'll be eating your shirt if this new engine isn't as fast as you say it is.如果这台新引擎没有你说的那么快,你就得收回自己的话。
2
keep your shirt on
这个说法源自19世纪,当时人们没有钱买昂贵的衣服,所以如果遇到不开心的事,或者想跟别人动手之前,总要先把衣服脱掉,以防在打斗中把衣服弄坏,后来这个短语就用来劝告别人不要太生气。
例:Keep your shirt on!It was only a joke.别生气!开个玩笑而已。
3
put/bet your shirt on sth
流行的英语习语,通常用于表示强烈的信心和肯定,类似于“把钱下注在某物上”的意思。
“put/bet your shirt on sth” 意味着非常确定某事会发生或某物会成功,通常在感情强烈的场合使用,如体育比赛或商业竞争。
例:I'd put my shirt on the president being re-elected.我肯定总统会再次当选。
4
lose one’s shirt
lose one’s shirt表示“财产输光光”,也就是中文说的“输得裤衩子都不剩”。如果想表示 “衬衫丢了”的意思,可直接说 “My shirt is lost”.
例:I almost lost my shirt on that deal. I have to invest my money wisely.在那笔交易中,我几乎输得一无所有了,我投资必须更明智点。
5
check shirt
这可不是“检查衬衫”的意思,”check shirt”是指一种衬衫,衬衫上覆盖着方格式或格子纹样或花格样式。这种样式往往由不同颜色和大小的方格段交叉组成。
"check shirt"通常被认为是休闲和不太正式的衬衫,适合各种场合,如在家休闲、购物、出游等。
例:The check shirt is a reject - too small.这件格子衬衣是个不合格品,太小了。
6
the shirt off sb's back
英文释义:the last thing that someone has left,意为某人的最后家当。
例:Tom is truly generous-he'll give you the shirt off his back.Tom真的很慷慨,他会尽他所能帮助你。
7
stuffed shirt
“stuffed shirt”的意思是“someone who behaves in a very formal and old-fashioned way and thinks that they are very important”,即“古板的人,自大的人”。
例:I had heard he was a bit of a stuffed shirt, but he was very pleasant when I met him, and not pretentious at all.我听说他有点自命不凡,但当我遇见他时,他很愉快,一点也不自命不凡。
8
wave the bloody shirt
从字面意思看,“挥动带血的衬衫”,那就是发生了“暴力冲突”。
例:A lot of people in our country are waving the bloody shirt right now, but I just can't support acts of violence, however justified they may be.我们国家的很多人现在都在挑唆冲突,但是我就是不能支持暴力行为,不管他们有多么正当。
英语中有许多这样的熟词僻义,需要我们学会积累。