英语口语：与白色white有关的英文习语

 　　Today’s color of choice is white, in what will hopefully become a mini series on idioms and color in the English language.

　　今天简单介绍下白色，希望可以作为英语颜色习语方面的一个小专题。

　　(1) raise (or wave) a white flag

　　Meaning: to indicate that you have been defeated and you want to give up

　　意思：暗示你被打败了，你愿意放弃。

　　Sample Sentence: After we captured them, they had to raise a white flag.

　　例句：当我们抓住他们后，他们不得不举手投降。

　　Pop Culture Reference¹: Pop singer Dido references² the symbolism represented in this idiom in her song “White Flag,” singing: “..and I won’t put my hands up and surrender. There will be no white flag above my door…”

　　流行文化推荐：流行歌手蒂朵在她的歌曲”白旗“中采用了这个习语的象征主义手法，歌中唱到：”…我不会举起双手投降。在我门前绝不会有白旗飘起…“

　　(2) white-tie event/affair

　　Meaning: an event that requires guests to wear formal dress such as men wearing white bow ties with formal evening attire³

　　意思：要求客人穿着正装的场合，例如男人着正式晚礼服，带白色蝴蝶结领结。

　　Sample Sentence: There was a white-tie wedding ceremony last week which I had to attend.

　　例句：上周我不得不参加一个白色领结结婚典礼。

　　Pop Culture Reference: Band names are known for being creative or including play on words. The pop/electronica band The White Tie Affair chose to name themselves with this idiom.

　　流行文化推荐：以创新风格闻名或包含双关语的乐队名。流行摇滚/电子乐队The White Tie Affair就是以这个习语命名的。

　　(3) white elephant.

　　Meaning: a useless, an unwanted possession that often costs money to maintain.

　　意思：无用的，不需要的累赘物，通常会花费很多钱来维护它。

　　Sample Sentence: Your car is a white elephant, as it often breaks down, causing you too much expenditure⁴.

　　例句：你的车就是个累赘，经常抛锚给你带来那么多花销。

　　Pop culture reference: As one alternative to the Western Christmas gift exchange tradition of “Secret Santa,” a White Elephant gift exchange includes a group of family, friends, or coworkers each of whom gets one wrapped gift. Staying true to the idiom’s meaning, the gifts are usually inexpensive, humorous, or used items from home, seeking to provide entertainment for those involved rather than value.

　　流行文化推荐：作为西方圣诞节Secret Santa(抽签交换礼物)的一个传统备选方案，"a White Elephant" 礼物交换是指在家人，朋友或同事之间进行的一种礼物交换游戏，每个人都会得到一个包裹好的礼物。而说到这个礼物习语，其实它原指便宜的，有趣的或家中用过的物品而并非有价值的物品，作为礼物送给对方以达到娱乐效果。

　　(4) white lie

　　Meaning: a harmless or small lie told to be polite or to avoid hurting someone’s feelings.

　　意思：一个没有恶意的或小的谎言，谎言的目的是为了礼貌或避免伤害某人的情感。

　　Sample Sentence: He told a white lie when his father asked where he was going.

　　例句：当他爸爸问他要去哪儿时，他撒了一个善意的谎言。

　　Pop Culture Reference: The popular TV series Breaking Bad has gained so many fans across the world that some have decided⁵ to craft special beers in honor of the protagonist⁶ Walter White who told many white (and perhaps even more unwhite) lies throughout the show. The India white ale beer is a play on words in itself, named Walt’s White Lie.

　　流行文化推荐：流行电视节目《绝命毒师》在全世界获得众多粉丝热捧，剧中的主人公沃尔特.怀特由于讲了太多善意(也许更多的是非善意)的谎言，以至于一些粉丝决定为其特制一种啤酒以示庆祝。印度白啤酒这个名字本身就是一种文字游戏，名为沃尔特怀特的谎言。

　　(5) white as a sheet

　　Meaning: pale

　　意思：苍白

　　Sample Sentence: Jane was as white as a sheet because of the illness she had suffered for months.

　　例句：由于数月病痛折磨，简的脸色面如白纸。

　　Pop Culture Reference: In the poem Song of Myself, in the famous poetry collection Leaves of Grass, the great Walt Whitman writes the line: “The captain on the quarter-deck coldly giving his orders through a countenance⁷ white as a sheet…”

　　流行文化推荐：在著名诗集《佰草集》中有一首诗歌叫做《自己》，伟大的诗人沃尔特·惠特曼曾在诗中这样写道：“船长站在甲板上，面色苍白地发着冷酷的指令。

1 reference   

n.提到，说到，暗示，查看，查阅

参考例句：

• We spent days going through all related reference material.我们花了好多天功夫查阅所有有关的参考资料。
• I like to have my reference books within my reach.我喜欢把参考书放到伸手可取的地方。

2 references   

n.参考( reference的名词复数 )；证明书；（为方便查询所用的）标记；（帮助或意见的）征求

参考例句：

• Applications with a full curriculum vitae and two references should reach the Principal by June 12th. 申请书连同完整个人简历和两份推荐信必须在6月12日以前送达校长处。
• The book is full of references to growing up in India. 这本书谈到许多在印度怎样长大成人的事。

3 attire   

v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装

参考例句：

• He had no intention of changing his mode of attire.他无意改变着装方式。
• Her attention was attracted by his peculiar attire.他那奇特的服装引起了她的注意。

4 expenditure   

n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗

参考例句：

• The entry of all expenditure is necessary.有必要把一切开支入账。
• The monthly expenditure of our family is four hundred dollars altogether.我们一家的开销每月共计四百元。

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

6 protagonist   

n.(思想观念的)倡导者；主角，主人公

参考例句：

• The protagonist reforms in the end and avoids his proper punishment.戏剧主角最后改过自新并避免了他应受的惩罚。
• He is the model for the protagonist in the play.剧本中的主人公就是以他为模特儿创作的！

7 countenance   

n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同

参考例句：

• At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。
• I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地，仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。