我们在一般情况下都不太会注意我们的脚,除非你感到脚痛或有什么其他毛病。可是,脚这个字,也就是英文里的 foot, 却不时出现在美国成语或俗语里,有时我们的 foot 把我们引向成功,有时却给我们带来许多麻烦,这全在于我们怎么用这个字了。

比如说,你正在找工作,和某个公司约好了去面谈,或者你第一次要去和一位异性会面,这个时候你就想要给他们一个好印象。这在英文里就是to put your best foot forward。为了给人造成一个好印象,也就是说to put your best foot forward,你在去面谈前肯定会尽量把衣服穿得体面一些,在和人面谈的过程中脸上还老是笑容可掬。

下面这个例子就是某人在给别人出主意,如何设法给招工的单位一个好印象:

例句-1:Better get a haircut before you go to that job interview tomorrow. You want to put your best foot forward because there are twenty other people after the same job.
这个人在劝他的朋友。他说:“你明天去那个公司面谈前最好去理一下发。你得给他们一个好印象才行,因为有二十多个人都在争夺这个工作。”

我们再来举一个例子说明怎么样用 how to put your best foot forward:

例句-2:I finally got a date with that girl I've been trying to go out with so long. So I'm putting my best foot forward and sending her a dozen roses and a box of chocolates before I pick her up tomorrow.
这个人说:“我总算和那个女孩约好了明天一起出去玩,这是我长久以来所梦寐以求的。所以,我在明天去接她前先送她一打玫瑰花和一盒巧克力,这样好给她一个好印象。”

你难免有的时候会在生活中或工作中碰到一些麻烦和困难,可是,要是你很聪敏或者是很幸运的话,那么这些麻烦和困难都能得到解决。美国有一个俗语就是形容这种情况的。这个俗语就是to land on your feet

To land on your feet的字面意思是:你的脚站在地上。可是它的确切含义是:你在经历了一些困难后最后又回到一个稳定的状态,也可以说是逢凶化吉了。那么,这个俗语的出处是什么呢?有的语言专家认为,这个俗语可能来自对猫的观察。你也许注意到,当一只猫从树上掉下来的时候,它表现出一种特殊的技能:它能在空中还没有落地之前调整自己身体的姿势,从而使自己平安地落地。我们来举一个例子吧:

例句-3:My brother Joe got fired for never coming to work on time, but he landed on his feet and found another job that paid twice as much money.
这个人说:“我的弟弟因老是不准时上班而被公司解雇了。可是,他倒是逢凶化吉又找到了一份工作,而且工资还加了一倍。”

经济问题在美国是经常发生的。下面又是一个例子:

例句-4: Mr. Green is one of these people who's not afraid to put his money into some very risky investments. Sometimes he'll lose out, but somehow he usually manages to land on his feet and find money to put into something else that makes a profit.
这个人说:“格林先生就是那种不怕冒很大危险去投资的人。有时,他也确实会亏本,但是他总是会逢凶化吉,找到钱去投资生财的。”

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put one's best foot forward 全力以赴,给人留下一个好印象

例句:Better get a haircut before you go to that job interview tomorrow. You want to put your best foot forward because there are twenty other people after the same job. 你明天去那个公司面谈前最好去理一下发。你得给他们一个好印象才行,因为有二十多个人都在争夺这个工作。

land on your feet 逢凶化吉

例句:Mr. Green is one of these people who's not afraid to put his money into some very risky investments. Sometimes he'll lose out, but somehow he usually manages to land on his feet and find money to put into something else that makes a profit. 格林先生就是那种不怕冒很大危险去投资的人。有时,他也确实会亏本,但是他总是会逢凶化吉,找到钱去投资生财的。