想要学好英语,深入理解英国文化的底蕴,莎士比亚可谓是不可不读。当然啦,术业有专攻,为了让大家更便捷地了解相关知识,英语君特意为大家总结了一些由莎士比亚发明,实用性比较强的短语,并在后面进行了注释,赶快来学习,用起来吧。

1.Wear my heart on my sleeve
感情外露

英文解释:Display your feelings openly, for all to see.

出自:Othello 《奥赛罗》

For when my outward action doth demonstrate

The native act and figure of my heart

In compliment extern, 'tis not long after

But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve

For daws to peck at: I am not what I am.

E.g. He wears his heart on his sleeve and often gets hurt.
他是个感情外露的人,常常受伤。

2.In a pickle
处于困境,遇到麻烦

英文解释:In a difficult situation; in a mess

出自:The Tempest 《暴风雨》

And Trinculo is reeling ripe: where should they

Find this grand liquor that hath gilded 'em?

How camest thou in this pickle?

注释:使用中,可以加上一些形容词进行强调:in a real/right...pickle

E.g. Things are in a real pickle at the moment, I’m afraid. My assistant’s left and I’m completely lost without him!
现在我真是处境窘迫,我的助手离开了,没有他我简直不知道从何下手。

3.The milk of human kindness
人的善良天性

英文解释:Care and compassion for others;kind feelings

出自:Macbeth 《麦克白》

"Yet doe I feare thy Nature, It is too full o' th' Milke of humane kindnesse."

E.g. There’s not much of the milk of human kindness in him. I’ve never known such a hard man.
他没有什么恻隐之心,我从来没见过这么冷酷的人。

4.A night owl
夜猫子

英文解释:A person who is active late at night

出自:The Rape of Lucrece 《鲁克丽丝受辱记》

E.g. She’s a night owl and has always done her best work after midnight.
她是个夜猫子,往往在午夜过后工作效率最高。

5.Pound of flesh
合法但不合理的要求;(勒令偿还的)全部债务;(不顾一切讨回的)所欠的东西

英文解释:Something which is owed that is ruthlessly required to be paid back, even if this will cause them trouble or suffering.

注释:在使用中,我们可以用动词take,demand来搭配。

E.g. They want their pound of flesh; they want every penny we owe them by next Monday.
他们一点不讲情面,要我们在下周一之前归还欠他们的每一分钱。

I didn't realize working hear was going to be such hard work. They really demand their pound of flesh, don’t they?
我不知道在这里工作这么辛苦。他们简直不顾别人死活,是不是?

6.Sea change
大转变;巨变

英文解释:a strong and noticeable change in a situation

出自:The Tempest 《暴风雨》

Those are pearls that were his eyes:

Nothing of him that doth fade

But doth suffer a sea-change

Into something rich and strange.

Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell

E.g. A sea change has been taken place in young people’s attitudes to their parents.
年轻人对待父母的态度已经发生了三百六十度转变。

7.Set your teeth on edge
使人牙根发酸;使感到不舒服(恼怒,烦躁,紧张... ...)

英文解释:Literally, to cause an unpleasant tingling of the teeth. More generally, the expression is used to describe any feeling of unpleasant distaste.

出自:Henry IV 《亨利四世》

E.g. That noise is really setting my teeth on edge! Can you stop?
那噪声让我很不舒服!你能不能停下来?

It sets my teeth on edge when I hear him talking to his mother so rudely.
听到他跟自己的母亲说话这么无礼,我很恼火。