【节目介绍】:大家好,应沪友要求,《Words & Idioms》开播了。本节目适合各个阶层的人学习。大家只要听写出音频中的例句就可以了,本期一共四个例句。听写不需要打引号,句子间也不用编序号。至于文中听到的所有习惯用语,提交答案之后都可以在译文部分找到。
Hints:
Joe
Jennie
校对:trans0829
答疑:常小猫
Uncle Joe is the black sheep in the family. Instead of getting a job, all he does is drink too much, gamble away any money he gets and chase after women. We all thought my youngest brother was the black sheep in our family. In fact he was in so much trouble he ran away to Australia. But he started a new life there, married a wonderful girl, and now he's a millionaire. I told a white lie when I told Jennie her boyfriend was good-looking. The truth is he's just about the ugliest man I've ever seen. My mother and dad taught me never to tell a lie. So I feel guilty every time I tell even a little white lie, although I do it just to make somebody feel better.
黑颜色和白颜色往往是对立的。黑代表黑夜和邪恶,而白象征着日光、善良或美德。在美国好莱坞早期那些无声电影里,导演往往给英雄人物戴上白帽子,而给坏蛋戴黑帽子。这样,连十岁的孩子一看就马上知道谁是好人,谁是坏人。白帽和黑帽就这样逐渐成了一个习惯的说法,也就是 white hats and black hats。White hats and black hats 就代表好人和坏人。黑和白这两个字 black and white 经常在美国的成语和俗语中出现。可是,它们并不一定像好人、坏人那样黑白分明。有时候,黑还具有肯定和积极的意思。例如,对一个做生意的人来说 in the black 就意味着赚钱,而不是亏本。今天,我们要讲两个和 black and white 这两个字有关的成语。首先我们来讲一个和black有关的常用语 a black sheep。Black 当然是指黑颜色,而 sheep 是一头羊的意思。一头黑颜色的羊 a black sheep 指的是一个给他周围的人带来耻辱的人。请听下面这个例子: 例句-1: "Uncle Joe is the black sheep in the family. Instead of getting a job, all he does is drink too much, gamble away any money he gets and chase after women." 这句话翻成中文就是:"乔叔叔是他们家的败家子。他不是去找个工作,而是成天喝酒,有了一点钱就去赌,还老是玩女人。" 我们再来举一个例子: 例句-2: "We all thought my youngest brother was the black sheep in our family. In fact he was in so much trouble he ran away to Australia. But he started a new life there, married a wonderful girl, and now he's a millionaire." 这句话的意思是:"我们都认为我最小的弟弟是我们家的败家子。实际上,他闯了好多祸,最后只好逃到澳大利亚去。可是,他在那里重起炉灶,和一个非常好的女孩结了婚,现在都成了百万富翁了。" 下面我们要讲的一个习惯用语是和 white 这个字有关系的,这就是 A white lie。Lie 就是谎话的意思。那末,难道骗人还分黑白吗?是的。A white lie 的意思就是那种为了避免使对方感到难受而说的谎话。比如说,一个女孩子新交的男朋友很难看,但是为了不要使她感到难受,你说了个谎,说你认为他很英俊。回到家,你就对丈夫说: 例句-3: "I told a white lie when I told Jennie her boyfriend was goodlooking. The truth is he's just about the ugliest man I've ever seen." 她说:"我骗珍妮说,她的男朋友很英俊。其实,他大概是我看到的所有男人当中最难看的了。" 我们再来举一个例子: 例句-4: "My mother and dad taught me never to tell a lie. So I feel guilty every time I tell even a little white lie, although I do it just to make somebody feel better." 这个人说:"我爸爸妈妈总是教我绝对不能说谎话。因此,每当我说一点谎,即便是为了让某人感到好受一点而说谎的时候,我都好像做错了事一样。" 今天我们讲了两个和黑和白,也就是 black and white 有关的俗语。它们是 a black sheep 和 a white lie。「美国习惯用语」第二十八讲就到里。欢迎下次再一起来学习美国习惯用语。再见。