Lesson 49 - STAND ON ONE'S OWN TWO FEET...(在线收听

to stand on one's own two feet

to throw oneself at someone's feet

在美国的成语和俗语中,有不少是围绕着"脚"这个字构成的,"脚"这个字在英文里就是 foot ,多数就是 feet。在美国的成语和俗语中,以 foot 或 feet 这个字为主的俗语为数还不少,它们的意思也各不相同。

今天我们要给大家再介绍两个由 foot 或者 feet 这个字组成的俗语。第一个是:to stand on one's own two feet。 To stand on one's own two feet 的意思恐怕不难猜到。一个人如果能站稳脚跟的话,他就一定能独立自主,靠自己的力量来办事。我们下面要举的一个例子是一位父亲担心他的儿子吸毒或酗酒,所以在劝告他的儿子:

例句-1: Son, somebody may try to get you to smoke marijuana or drink, just to fit in with the crowd. But I hope you can stand on your own two feet and say no.

这位父亲说:"儿子呀,有的人为了要你合群也许会劝你喝酒或吸毒。但是我希望你能够独立自主,拒绝他们的引诱。"

那些能够独立自主的人的确很令人钦佩。下面就是一个例子:

例句-2: Bill Brown has managed to stay in Congress now for twenty years. The voters don't always agree with him but they really like the way he stands on his own feet and makes his own decisions on which way to vote, regardless of pressures from all the lobbyists.

这个人说:"比尔·布朗在国会当议员已经二十年了。选民们不一定都同意他的观点,但是他们倒很欣赏他在对各种提案投票时的那种独立自主精神。不管那些游说者给他施加多大压力,他都按自己的决定投票。"

今天我们要讲的第二个习惯用语是: to throw oneself at someone's feet。 To throw oneself at someone's feet 这个俗语可以解释为:公开对某人表示爱慕。比如说,一个男子在幻想自己未来的婚事,他对他的朋友说:

例句-3: I'm still looking for the right girl to marry. And when I find her, I'll throw myself at her feet and ask her to spend the rest of her life with me.

他说:"我现在还在物色一个我认为合适的女孩作为我的妻子。一旦我找到了,我就要拜倒在她的石榴裙下,恳求她作为我的终身伴侣。"

To throw oneself at someone's feet 还可以解释为:为了得到一些好处而溜须拍马,或拜倒在某人脚下。下面的例子是说一个被判了罪的犯人:

例句-4: The prisoner who has been convicted as a traitor threw himself at the feet of the judge and begged for mercy.

这句话的意思是:"那个被定罪为叛徒的犯人拜倒在法官的面前,求他发发慈悲。"

  原文地址:http://www.tingroom.com/lesson/usayongyu/21068.html