Lesson 30 - STICK TO ONE'S GUN / SHOOT THE BREEZE(在线收听

To stick to one's guns

Shooting the breeze

今天我们要讲的两个俗语是和枪,也就是英语里的gun这个字有联系的。我们要讲的第一个俗语是to stick to one's guns。对于士兵来说,在被很多敌人包围的情况下还要能持续装炮弹发射的话,他们肯定需要很多勇气。这种精神在英文里就是to stick to one's guns.

To stick to one's guns从字面上来解释是指枪。但是这个俗语现在几乎和枪没有什么关系,它的意思就是:在日常生活中坚持原则,稳步前进,不屈服外界的压力。比如说,一个爸爸对他在大学念书的女儿讲话:

例句-1: Pumpkin, I hear that some of the students at your school are fooling around with drugs. But I hope, young woman, that you stick to your guns and keep saying no!

这位爸爸说:"小鬼,我听说你们学校的学生里有吸毒的现象。我希望你坚持正道,坚决抵制这种恶习!"

事实上,世界上有许多事都是靠坚忍不拔的精神才能办成的。下面我们再来举个例子:

例句-2: I have to admire the ladies who fifty years ago worked so hard to get women the right to vote. People laughed at them at first but they stuck to their guns and got the congress to pass the 19th Amendment back in 1920.

这个人说:"我很钦佩以前那些女士们,她们五十年前努力为妇女争取选举权。开始,许多人都笑话她们。但是,她们坚定不移,最后在1920年终于促使国会通过了美国宪法的第十九项修正案。"

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今天我们要讲的第二个俗语虽然没有gun这个字,但是和开枪也是有关的,这就是shooting the breeze。Shoot就是开枪的意思。Shooting the breeze就是在很轻松、很愉快的气氛下和朋友聊天。例如,一个教室里的学生在等教授来上课。其中有两个学生是同乡。这两人中的一个说:

例句-3: Say, Bill, how about coming back to my room after class? I'll get a couple of cold sodas and we'll shoot the breeze for a while.

这个学生说:"喂,比尔,上完课你到我宿舍去吧。我去买两瓶汽水,咱们聊回儿天,你看怎么样?"

学生上完课聊一会儿天当然是无可非议的。可是,在某种情况下聊天可能会出问题的。你听下面这个人说的话就明白了:

例句-4: At the staff meeting this morning the boss told us she wanted to see us at our desks busy working instead of spending so much time standing around shooting the breeze with each other.

这个人说:"今天早上我们办公室开会的时候,我们的头儿说,她要看到我们都坐在自己桌子那里忙着干自己的活,而不是花好多时间站在那儿闲聊天。"

  原文地址:http://www.tingroom.com/lesson/usayongyu/21049.html