美国俚语
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1.A bird’s-eye view 俯视,全局观念Eg: If you have a bird’s-eye view of a situation, you’ll have a clea idea of what is happening.A soldier’s-eye view; a child’s-eye view; a driver’s-eye view2. about-face 立场的彻底转变; 向后转about-turnEg: Jenny’s mother did an about-face on her marriage.3.a dime a dozen 便宜,不值钱Eg: This kind of china is a dime a dozen in China, but how could I know it’s so expensive here.4.a fair shake 公平的待遇,公平的机会Eg:I didn’t get a fair shake in the election—Jenny was appointed president of the student body because her father is a sponsor of the school.5. after one’s (own) heart 正合心意;正中下怀Eg: I’m so happy that at last I got married to a girl after my heart.6. (give/get) (sb) a leg-up 搭把手;助一臂之力Eg: She got that job because her uncle gave her a leg-up.7. a leg up: 稍微占优势;领先一步Eg: We have a leg up in the competition.8. a little bird 消息灵通的人士Eg:-How did you know they break up?-Ah, a little bird told me.= a birdie told me.9. An apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. 上梁不正下梁歪Eg:A thief’s son is a thief. An apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. 10. anyone’s guess 谁都说不准的事,八字没一撇=anybody’s guess; guessworkEg:Whether it rains or not tomorrow is anyone’s guess.11. a rainy day 不如意的日子Eg:You should save a little money for a rainy day.12. Are you decent? 你穿衣了没有?Eg:Are you decent? I am coming in.13. armpit 脏乱不堪的地方Eg:Tom’s room is an armpit—he just throws his things anywhere. 14. a rough diamond ①外粗内秀的人;②初露光芒的设想=a diamond in the roughEg:Though a little bit careless, John is a rough diamond.I’d like to donate to charity all the money I won in the lottery, but that’s just a rough diamond.15.artsy-farty 假装艺术的;附庸风雅的=arty-farty; arty-crafty;artsy-craftsyEg:I don’t like that painter—he’s a little bit artsy-farty.16.at daggers 互相仇视;关系紧张Eg: After separation, the youny couple were at daggers with each other.At odds with sb over sth :与。
1.You two are on the outs你.俩有矛盾。
2.【Says who?】谁说的?例:―Divorce is not an option‖ - Says who? ―离婚不是一个选项‖-谁说的?3.【drive under the influence】酒驾。
例:Possibly the best example that illustrates thischaracteristic is people who drive under the influence of alcohol. 最能说明这个特点的是醉酒驾车的人。
4.【Chances are good】可能性很大。
例:Chances are good that you have hundreds, maybethousands of e-mails stored on remote servers or in your computer. 在远程服务的互联网上,你有能保存成百成千电子邮件的机会是非常好的。
5.【Excuse my French.】不好意思,我说脏话了。
例:I was just driving down the road and thisasshole-excuse my french-rammed into me! 我只是沿着这条路开下去,然后这个混帐东西——原谅我说粗话——就撞过来了!6.Real success is not about how much money you make or how famous you get. Rather, it'sabout being the best of yourself. 真正的成功不是说你能赚多少钱或你能出多大名,而是能做最好的自己!7.【Hold your horses】着什么急啊!例:Hold your horses before you start doing what youthink is important to you, otherwise you may lose. 在你开始做你认为是非常重要的事情之前,你要考虑清楚,否则会失败。
美国俚语大全all shook up 张皇失措What did he say to her? She's all shook up.他跟她说了些什么使她这么张皇失措?A [ei] -OK 情况顺利 , 进行良好He was A-OK after the surgery.他手术后情况很好。
a leg up 占上风All Jeff's hard work is paying off. He's a leg up on the rest of his competitors. Jeff 的努力没有白费,他在竞争对手中占了上风。
a new breed of 新生代America is experiencing a new breed of ambitious and educated young businessmen. 美国出现了一批雄心勃勃,教育水准高的新生代企业家。
across the board 全盘的; 全面的Everyone in the corporation received an across the board increase in salary.公司里每个人都加薪。
act up 胡闹; 出毛病I was late to work this morning because the car acted up and wouldn't start.我今天早上因车子出毛病而上班迟到。
ad-lib 即兴而作, 随口编The comedian ad-libbed most of his routine.那个笑匠的讲词多半是随口编的。
add insult to injury 越搞越糟; 越描越黑Her awkward attempt to explain her error merely added insult to injury.她笨拙地解释错误,结果越描越黑。
1-----You can't argue with success成王败寇Though you may tell someone they are doing something in a wrong way, you have to stop criticizing them if their method works.2-----Nothing succeeds like success一事成,事事顺Like money in a savings account, success seems to compound itself. A person who has a small success expects it to be followed by a bigger one.3-----The end justifies the meansIt does not matter how you succeed. Any method is all right if it works for you. This proverb is not always accepted. Often one hears the opposite, " the end doesn't justifies the means."4-----If you can't beat them, join themIf you cannot compete successfully with a person or a group, stop competing and go join them. Then you can share in their success.5-----Always a day late and a dollar shortA criticism of a person who never succeeds. The failures may not be drastic but the pattern of small failures is annoying to others, especially in two areas that Americans value as highly as time and money.6-----One thing at a timeConcentration leads to success. The person who tires to do too many things at once may fail at all of them.7-----We'll cross that bridge when we come to itWe will not discuss or worry about a future problem. If and when the problem becomes urgent, we will deal with it.8-----Don't put the cart before the horseDo things in a sensible order. For example, do something to impress your boss before you ask for a raise in pay. Don't ask for the raise first.9-----All's fair in love and warDo not trust a rival or an enemy at all. His or her desire to succeed will overrule everything else. Such a people may lie, cheat, attack or do many other things far more terrible than he or she would normally do.10-----When in Rome do as the romans doFlexibility leads to success in unfamiliar circumstances. People may changes their normal way of doing things in order to fit in better with those they are visiting.11------Easy does itSome things require gentleness for success. One should not push too hard. Force may cause damage12-----The bigger they are, the harder they fall爬得越高, 摔得越重Do not be discouraged by the size of your problem or the fame of your competitor. (the saying is traced to a boxer preparing to fight an opponent much larger than he was.)13-----All is well that ends wellIf we can come to a successful conclusion, let us forget about the pain and mistakes along the way.14-----Go for itGo ahead and try to achieve your goal. Don't worry about failing. Similar to this proverb--God provides food to every bird, but he won't cast to its nest, you got to earn it.15-----Every little bit helpsIf someone apologizes for giving only a small gift, the recipient may encourage the giver by quoting this proverb. This is especially true if there is a huge job to do or a huge amount of money to be raised from many people.16-----Look before you leapDon't jump into a situation carelessly. You may land in difficulty.17-----All that glitters is not gold闪光的未必都是金子Do not be fooled by worthless things that seem valuable or look attractive."Fool's gold " is the popular name for a kind of stone that glitters like gold but contains no gold at all.18------Curiosity killed the catDo not ask too many questions or become too curious about things. You may get yourself into trouble like a cat that does not see the danger in a new situation.19-----Don't put all your eggs in one basketDo not risk everything in one place or on one project. Divide your sources so that one failure will not ruin you. Similar to this proverb---Do not use both feet to test the depth of the river.20-----Don't bite off more than you can chewDo not attempt something too large for you to handle.21-----Too good to be trueThis is often used to warn about advertising. An offer looks good but turns out to be misleading.22-----Flattery will get you nowhereIf flattery (insincere praise) is recognized, it will not succeed. One sometimes hears the opposite, Flattery will get you everywhere.23-----There is no such thing as a free lunchIf someone you do not know offers you a free lunch or other gift, watch out. The gift may be a method of getting something from you.24------Pride goes before a fall骄兵必败Do not be over-confident and careless. Your circumstances may change quickly and the emptiness of your bragging will be exposed.25------Better safe than sorry谨言慎行不吃亏,轻率莽撞必后悔It is better not to take a risk than to take a risk foolishly.26-----Winning isn't everythingOne may enjoy the process of playing a game whether one wins or not. This traditional proverb is now often heard in the opposite form, Winning isn't everything. It's the only thing!Winning isn't everything, but the will to win is the thing.27------Time will tellWait and see how something will work out. Don't trust a person or thing too much right now.28-----The burned child shuns fireSome of life's lessons are learned the hard way. The person who has had to pay for a mistake will be careful not to make that mistake again.29-----There are other fish in the sea 天涯何处无芳草There are opportunities! For example, this may be used to encourage someone who has just broken off a relationship with a sweetheart.30-----Don't count your chickens before they are hatchedDo not become too confident of success before you can see that progress is happening.31-----Rome wasn't built in a dayDo not be discouraged if your goal still seems far away. On a big project, success takes time!32-----There is more here than meets the eye这里比你看到的还多Be careful. People are hiding something in order to protect themselves or take advantage of you.33-----The customer is always rightBusinesses instruct their clerks not to do anything that might threaten a customer's self-esteem, no matter how unreasonable the customer is. Any complaint of any customer must be carefully and politely heard by any employee. The customer must not be made to feel ignorant.34-----Be true to yourselfDo not compromise yourself or your beliefs in order to please other people or fit in with a system. Know who you are. Let other people know what you stand for. Do not give in to pressure to conform or to do things you do not agree with.35-----Once bitten, twice shyThis may be used to explain the behavior of a person who is overly cautious about something. The wise person makes mistakes but does not usually make the same mistake twice.36-----It isn't over till the fat lady singsI refuse to admit defeat yet. Though right now it looks like I may fall, there is still time for things to change. (The "fat lady" is an insulting reference to an opera soloist, opera often end with a female solo.)37-----To each his own 各人喜好不同Each individual should be allowed to have his or her own preferences. people will naturally choose different activities, goals, life-s, etc.38-----Looking out for number one 只顾个人利益Looking out for one's own personal welfare more than anything else. This is sometimes used to criticize a person who has abused or taken advantage of someone else, "All he was doing was looking out for number one." Or it may be used to defend himself or herself, "There is nothing wrong with what I did. I was just looking out for number one."39-----When the going gets tough, the tough get goingWhen situation is difficult, only the determined people can handle it. They don't give up!40-----Times flies when you are having funA day seems shot when it is full of enjoyable things but it seems like an eternity if one is idle or stuck with a boring job.41-----If it feels good, do itLive according to your desires at the moment. Forget about rules, regulations or consequences. Just have fun.42-----Live and let live 各自生活不相扰Do not be judgmental. Do not try to control or punish other people.You live as you like and let others live as they like.43-----Variety is the spice of lifeVariety is what makes life pleasureable. Boredom is seen as a threat and monotony is the surest route to boredom.44------Money talksWealth has influence. People who make big contributions to political candidates are "talking" to the candidates and expecting them to listen.45-----All work and no play makes Jack a dull boyThis is used to criticize someone who takes work too seriously. It affirms that play is as an essential part of human life.46-----The more the merrierThis is a way of welcoming someone to participate. It means, the bigger the group, the bigger the party.Eg. you already have is worth twice as much as a thing you might get in the future.48-----You can't have your cake and eat it too 两者不可兼得Make up your mind. Sometimes one must choose between two very desirable things, giving up one thing in order to enjoy the other.49-----There is more than one way to skin a cat 解决问题的方法不止有一种(直译:剥猫皮方法不止一个。
何谓“帅到掉渣”?就是以下这十句话一开口,连美国人都会被你吓一跳:“这中国人英语(论坛)太好了!”而说来这十句俚语又是如此简单,一学就会。
只要平常聊天中带上它们,立马就成为你的口语亮点!还不快点抱走?下面这些俚语都是精心挑选的,我在美国读书时常听老美说的,这些可是被老美说烂的但教科书只字不提的地道美语哦,看完了可以在老美面前好好炫耀一番哦!!!1. kick ass 了不起A: Wow, you fixed my computer in less than 10 minutes. You're good.A: 哇! 你不到十分钟就把我的计算机修好了呀! 你很棒!B: Yep. I just kick ass.B: 是的! 我就是厉害!"kick ass" 除了字面上的「踢屁股」外, 还有「厉害、打败」的意思。
当「踢屁股」时, 比如某人放你鸽子, 你很气, 就可以说: "I'm going to kick his ass." (我得踢他的屁股)。
当「厉害」用时, 就像上面例句一样用。
"kick ass" 还可作「打败某人的意思」。
比如某人一向在某方面比你强, 终于有一天你比他厉害了, 你就可以说:"Hahaha...I kicked your ass."。
觉得"ass" 太难听的人, 就用"butt" 吧!【不管ass,还是butt,都是屁股的意思。
只不过butt比较正式一些。
黛西怎么老是写这些东东,真是庸俗不堪,社会主义精神文明的垃圾,我们新中国的有志青年可要擦亮眼睛,辩明是非啊!呵呵呵呵... 海泓注】2. kiss ass 拍马屁A: Mary, I'm sorry for cheating on you before. Do you see any chance that we can get back together?A: Mary, 我真的很抱歉对你不忠实。
美国的黑人社会中的帮派问题经常地在绕舌歌曲中被讨论,自然也有许多与帮派相关的黑话会常在绕舌歌中出现,如:O.G. - 即Original Gangster,用来指有案底的帮派份子。
red rum - 就是谋杀 (murder) 的意思,只是这里把它反过来写。
Rolling 60's - 一黑帮的支派。
set - 帮派分支。
Set tripping - 帮派内斗。
smoke - 杀人。
Soldier - 没有案底的帮派份子。
toa - 帮派间的义气。
thug - 身无长物的人,也可以称为“恶棍”。
TTP - 指 Tree Top Piru,一黑帮的支派。
up north trip - 被送往监狱。
绕舌歌曲中用来指称毒品的黑话我们再举出下列几例:madhatter - 贩毒的人。
slang - 贩毒。
trap - 贩毒。
rock star - 吸毒上瘾的人。
primo, turbo, zootie - 此三名词皆为掺了可卡因的大麻。
slab, snow - 皆指可卡因。
smacked - 药效发作。
through - 嗑药的兴奋状态。
triple beam - 原来是拿来秤金子,但后来被拿来当作秤毒品的秤子。
skins, zig zags - 皆为卷大麻烟的纸。
sherm stick - 浸泡过精油的大麻烟。
roll - 卷一管大麻。
zooted - 抽大麻。
spliff - 牙买加产的大麻烟。
Vegas - 一家卖大麻烟的厂商。
另外,还有许多大麻的同义字。
像是:bammer, bonic, brown,bud, buddha, cannabis, cheeba, chronic, dank, doubage,ganja, grass, green, groove weed, hash, herb, home-grown,ill, Indo, iszm, Lebanon, Mary Jane, maui, method, pot,sess, shake, shoot, skunk, stress, tabacci, Thai, tical, wacky,and weed. 都是大麻。
美国常用的网络俚语美国俚语占美国日常会话常用词汇的十分之一。
如果你想和美国人顺利地交流,你必须掌握美国人日常生活中的一些俚语。
下面是小编为大家整理的关于美国常用的网络俚语,希望对你有所帮助,如果喜欢可以分享给身边的朋友喔!日常用到的俚语1.Would you like to have a snack? 你要不要吃点点心?2.My secretary will fix you up. 我的秘书会照顾你的。
3.All our work is a fizzle. 我的全部工作都完蛋了。
4.You are very pretty. 你真漂亮。
5.Don't try to snow me,I know how I look. 别挖苦我了,我知道我自己的长相。
6.She is an easy girl. 她是一个一搭就上的女人。
7.He is a Jack-of-all-trades. 他是个万事通。
(但一窍不通) I tried to explain it to you. 我想跟你说个明白。
8.She is tearing her hair out. 她气得要死。
9.I can only afford to live in a flophouse. 我只能住便宜的旅馆。
10.He has been flipping his lip for an hour. 他讲了一个小时的话。
11.He flies off the handle at missing the train. 他没有赶上火车,非常生气。
12.Miss,Yang has very beautiful gams. 杨小姐有一双美腿。
Are you reading smut? 你在看黄色小说吗?13.He's just a smal potato. 他只是个小人物。
14.He's a big shot=VIP. 他是个大人物。
tryna美国俚语
Tryna是一个有趣的美国俚语,它源于"trying to"的缩写,表示"尝试去做" 或者 "努力想要"。
它可以用来表达一个人正在尝试去实现或者达到某件事情,也可以表达出一个去做或者完成某件事情的愿望。
例如:
I'm tryna get in shape.
意思是:我正在努力想要塑造自己
Tryna也可以应用于客气礼貌的用法,例如:
Can I borrow your pen?
Tryna borrow your pen?
意思是:我可以借你的笔吗?
Tryna也可以应用于非正式场合,例如:
A: What are you up to?
B: Tryna figure out this math problem.
意思是:A:你正在干什么?B:努力想要解决这个数学问题。
Tryna常常用在口语中,有时也会出现在书面语当中,但大多数情况下会被写成 "trying to"。
在书面中,Tryna应该被当作缩写,而在口语中,它更像是一种表达方式。
美国俚语大全美国俚语大全1. I couldn't care less.这句话的意思是「我不在乎」,「缺乏兴趣」(lack of interest),也就是:I don't care at all. 或 I don't give a hoot. 例如:人家如果问: What do you think of the budget-cut?(你对预算削减有何看法?)你回答: I couldn't care less.(我毫不在乎)How do you like Mr. Lee's political point of view?(你喜欢李先生的政见吗?)I couldn't care less.(我才不在乎呢!)但是有时说话者也有「口是心非」:例如:I couldn't care less about the promotion or pay raise.(我不在乎升级或加薪)而实际上他是根本在乎升级和加薪的,那么人家也许就会回答说:Yes, you do(care).至于 I couldn't care more. 就是「我很在乎」(I care a lot.)或I care deeply. 同理:I couldn't agree more.=I totally agree.(我完全同意)I couldn't please you more.=I did my best to please you.(我尽量使你高兴)I couldn't be more right.=I am totally right.但是老外为了「自尊」,不愿强调自己的错误,所以很少人说:I couldn't be more wrong.注意:一般人都用否定句,但也有老外把肯定句与否定句互用。
不过,严格来说,I could care less. = I care to some degree.(care 的程度可能减少)I could care more.=I care some.(care的程度也许增加)(主词可用任何人称代名词:he, she, you, we, they 等。
美国最新俚语293条(首字母:A-E)英语俚语是一种非正式的语言,通常用在非正式的场合,所以在用这些俚语是一定要考虑所用的场合和对象,最好不要随意用这些俚语。
下面是一些常用的俚语。
a bird in the hand is worth two the bush 一鸟在手,胜似二鸟在林a blank slate 新的一页,新的开始a bone to pick 争端,不满a cat nap 打个盹儿a chip off the old block 子肖其父a chip on one's shoulder 自卑感,因为自卑而爱找别人麻烦;喜欢向人挑衅a ouch potato 懒鬼a cake walk 易事a headache 麻烦事a knock out 美得让人倾倒a load off my mind 心头大石落地a nut 傻子,疯子a pain in the neck 苦事a piece of cake 小菜一碟,易事一件a shot in the dark 瞎猜a short fuse 脾气火爆a sinking ship 正在下沉的船a slam dunk 轻而易举的事a slap in the face 公然受辱a smoke screen 烟幕a social butterfly 善于交际,会应酬的人a stick in the mud 烂泥中的树枝a thick skin 厚脸皮a thorn in someone's side 芒刺在背a turn coat 叛徒an uphill battle 在逆境中求胜a weight off my shoulders 放下肩头重担ace 得到完美的结果all ears 洗耳恭听all thumbs 笨手笨脚an ace up my sleeve 袖里的王牌an open and shut case明显的事件ants in one's pants 坐立不安back in the 改过自新backfire适得其反ball and chain 老婆beat a dead horse 徒劳beaten by the ugly stick 生得难看beggar can't be choosers 讨饭的谈不上挑三拣四bet on it 有把握,无疑bet your life 绝对错了better half 我的另一半between a rack and a hard place 前有狼后有虎big headed 傲慢,自大bigger fish to fry有更重要的事要办bite off more than one can chew 贪多嚼不烂bite the bullet 强忍痛苦birds of a feather flock together 物以类聚blow up in you face 事情完全弄砸了bologna 胡说,瞎说break a let 表演真实,演出成功break the ice 打破僵局bright聪明,灵光brown nose 讨好,谄媚bug somebody 使人讨厌bull in a china shop 笨拙的人,动辄弄坏东西的人bump into 巧遇burn brides 过河拆桥burst your bubble 打破人的幻想,煞风景bury one's head in the sand自欺欺人butterfingers抓不稳东西的人butterflies in my stomach心里紧张,七上八下buy the farm归道山,死了call it a night 一日事毕,可以睡觉了can't teach an old dog new tricks 老狗学不会新把戏cash in my chips 睡觉,就寝chicken 胆小鬼circle the wagons 严阵以待clean up one's act 自我检点,自我改进come down in bucket 倾盆大雨come down in sheets 倾盆大雨cool your lips 冷静下来cost someone an arm and a leg 代价昂贵count on something /doing something 这事靠得住count your chickens before they hatch 蛋还没孵化,先数小鸡crock 废话cross the line 做得太过分了cross that bridge when we come to it 船到桥头自然直cry over spilled milk 为过去的失败而懊丧cushion the blow 说话绵软一点,以免打击太重cut to the chase 不绕圈子,开门见山daily grind 例行苦事days are numbered 来日无多dead center 正当中dead-end street 死路,死巷子dog 丑八怪domino effect 骨牌效应don't hold your breath 别期望太高don't look a gift horse in the mouth 收人礼物别嫌好道歹down to the wire 最后关头downhill from here 自此每况愈下drop the ball 失职empty nest 儿女长大离家every cloud has a silver lining 祸兮福所倚,塞翁失马美国最新俚语293条(首字母:L-O)landslide压倒性的胜利last straw最后一根稻草left a bitter taste in one's mouth留下不愉快的回忆left hanging被挂起来,悬而不决let sleeping dogs lie别无事生非let the cat out of the bag泄密,说漏嘴light a fire under your butt促其行动light at the end of the tunnel一线希望like hot cakes很受欢迎的东西,抢手货like looking for a needle in a haystack大海捞针like pulling hen's teeth艰苦不堪like shooting fish in a barrel瓮中捉鳖like stealing candy from a baby易事我要收藏ling winded长舌,碎嘴loose cannon一触即发的脾气lose one's marbles疯了,神智不清low blow不正当的攻击,下流手段make a mountain out of a molehill小题大作make him and break the mold再没有跟他一样的人了Monday morning quarterback马后炮monkey business胡闹monkey on one's back难以摆脱的负担more than you can shake a finger at屈指难数more than one way to skin a cat另有办法music to my ears爱听的话my old man我父亲nail in the coffin致使的一击,决定成败的最重要因素neck and neck齐头并进,不分轩轾no sweat没什么大不了not dealing with a full deck头脑不正常nothing will leave these walls言不入六耳off the charts好得没治了off the deep end暴跳如雷off the fop of one's head临时一想,随口一说on a good note尽欢而散on a roll做得很顺,势如破竹on cloud nine九霄云上on fire红火,手气旺on my nerves惹我心烦on pins and needles如坐针毡,坐立不安on tap现成的,预备好on the back burner靠边站on the ball做事有准备,有把握on the edge of my seat专心地看和听on the rocks触礁,搁浅;加冰块on the same page进度相同on the tip of my tongue话到舌尖,呼之欲出once in a blue moon稀罕,少见one foot in the grave入土三尺one of a kind独一无二one step ahead of you领先你一步out of the pan and into the fire每况愈下out of the picture不在画面里out of this world人世所无,只应天上有美国最新俚语293条(首字母:F-K)fall into place落实,就绪fender bender小车祸fight tooth and nail爪牙并施,拚命抵抗fine line微妙的差别fish out of water如鱼离水flash in the pan空欢喜一场,好景不长fork in the road岔路framed被陷害,遭栽赃full throttle加足马力get a foot in the door获得立足点get hitched结婚get off on the wrong foot第一印象不佳get the ball rolling动起手来get/give the green light获准行动get up on the wrong side of the bed起床下错边give the shirt off one's back慷慨成性go one step too far做得太过分了go out on a limb担风险go overboard过火go to hell in a hand basket一坏不可收拾go to one's head上头上脸,冲昏头脑go under破产goose bumps鸡皮疙瘩grasp for straws绝望中的挣扎guts胆子hot惹火have one's cake and eat it too既要鱼,又要熊掌hit the jackpot中了头彩hit the road上路hold the key to my heart掌管我心灵的钥匙hold your horses慢来hang somebody out to dry把……坑苦了in one's back pocket是某人的囊中之物in the dark茫然in the lime light出风头it's Greek to me天书in the middle of nowhere前不见村,后不着店joined at the hip死党jump the gun抢先just what the doctor ordered对症下药keep an ear to the ground注意新动向keep one's fingers crossed/cross one's fingers暗祈上苍保佑kick the bucket翘辫子kill two birds with one stone一箭双雕,一举两得kiss up to讨好kitty corner斜对角美国最新俚语293条(首字母:P-S)pale in comparison相形失色peas in a pod好哥儿们pieces come together诸事顺利,达成完美结果play it by ear随机应变我要收藏plenty of other fish in the sea天涯何处无芳草poke* **ce喜怒不形于色pot calling the kettle black五十步笑百步pull oneself up by one's bootstraps凭自己的力量重新振作pull the rug out from underneath someone地事出意外punch your lights out揍得你两眼发黑put all of one's eggs in one basket孤注一掷put one's foot in one's mouth说错话put one's nose to the grindstone专心工作put the cart before the horse本末倒置rain on your parade扫兴,浇冷水rain cats and dogs倾盆大雨raise the bar更上一层楼read someone like a book对这个人一目了然red handed趁着手上的血还没洗净时候抓住,在犯罪现场被逮red tape (扎公文的)繁文缛节right down my alley正能者多劳的胃口rob the cradle老牛吃嫩草rock the boat无事生非,制造不安定rumple my feathers逆批龙鳞seamless天衣无缝secret weapon秘密武器see right through someone一眼看穿,洞烛其奸shoot for the stars sick and tired立志要高sit shotgun厌烦six one way, half a dozen the other半斤八两skate on thin ice如履薄冰skeleton in one's closet不可告人的事skin and bones皮包骨sleep on it考虑一晚上small talk寒喧,闲聊smooth sailing一帆风顺snowball滚雪球,越滚越大snowball's chance in hell希望不大spark来电spineless没有骨气split hairs吹毛求疵stab in the back遭人暗算stallion貌美体健的男人stand someone up对方失约,让人空等stick a fork in him, he's done用叉子戳他一下看看,他烤熟了吧stop and smell the roses享受生活straw that broke the camel's back致命的一击straight from the horse's mouth根据最可靠的消息来源strike out三振出局美国最新俚语293条(首字母:T-W)take a hike滚蛋take a rain check另一次机会take the word right out of someone's mouth你所说的正是我想要说的the ball is in someone's court该你行动了我要收藏the walls have ears隔墙有耳throw in the towel认输,放弃tie the knot结婚toe the line循规蹈矩,沿着线走tongue in cheek挖苦地too many cooks in the kitchen筑室道谋,三个和尚没水渴twinkle in your mother's eye未出娘胎twisted脾气拧,别扭two left feet笨手笨脚under my skin让我极不舒服under the weather受了风寒until the cows come home空等,白等until you are blue in the face也是白干unwind轻松下来up for grabs大家有份up in the air悬而未决walk in someone's shoes设身处地,经历相同walk on air,飘飘然washed up筋疲力尽,力气都放完了water off a duck's back马耳东风water under the bridge逝水,覆水when hell freezes over绝不可能的事weed out淘汰well rounded全能,全才when pigs fly绝不可能not lift a finger袖手旁观wound up紧张,兴奋wrapped around his/her little finger玩弄于股掌之间wring his neck扭断他的脖子。
美国俚语的语言特色与语用功能摘要:美国俚语是一种相当特殊的语言形式。
它历史悠久,尽管处于不断的更新变化中,但具有顽强的生命力,备受人民青睐。
本文从美国民族性格、美国俚语的构词方式、修辞方法入手,剖析了美国俚语的语言特色和语用功能,以此了解不断变化中的美国语言文化和社会文化的特殊内涵。
关键词:美国俚语语言特色语用功能一、引言俚语是一种能够激发人的想象力,并且具有创造性的语言。
它不落俗套,兼收并蓄,是相当特殊的言语形式,它既有别于语法无规则的用语,又不同于“乡下土话”,更称不上亵渎的言语;它也不同于方言、行话、黑话、粗俗词语等非标准语。
这种曾经被视为“粗俗低级”、“不登大雅之堂”的民间语言,如今不仅已渐渐被众人所接受,使用更被视为时尚之举,在美国,俚语的流行程度尤其大大出乎语言学家的意料:俚语频繁现身于影视作品、报刊杂志中;在日常生活中,使用俚语的人也越来越多,许多受过教育的人在一般的言谈中也大量使用俚语交流。
从嬉皮士到雅皮士都有自己的一套俚语,俚语甚至进入了保守的中产阶级的语言天地。
俚语的作用与地位与日剧增,连一贯严谨的政客为了树立“亲民”形象,也在某些场合使用俚语。
如今,俚语已受到很多人的偏爱,各式各样的俚语在美国英语词汇中占有可观的比重,约为美国人平均词汇量的十分之一。
因此,很难想象,一个对美国俚语一无所知或了解甚少的人能够毫无困难地理解美国影片或通俗小说中某些角色的每一句话。
俚语作为一种复杂的语言现象,有着与标准语不同的一些语言特点。
美国俚语作为最有代表性、最有生命力和表现力的语言,研究其语言特色和语用功能具有很现实的意义。
鉴于此,美国俚语成了众多学者感兴趣的研究对象。
不少学者对英语中的大量俚语作过潜心研究,有的甚至收集到数量惊人的例证,编纂出大的俚语词典。
例如,英籍新西兰词典编纂家E·帕特里奇(Eric Patridge)编纂了《俚语与非习语英语词典》(A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English),H·温特沃思(Harold Wentworth)和S·B·弗莱克斯纳(Stuart Berg Flexner)合编的《美国俚语词典》(Dictionary of American Slang)以及R·查普曼(Robert Chapman)编写的《美国俚语新词典》(New Dictionary of American Slang)。
二、美国俚语的语言特点(一)不落俗套,追求新奇。
自从有了人类语言就有了俚语,俚语的产生与社会、文化、种族等均有联系。
美国是一个倡导“自由、平等、勤变、求新、务奇”的社会,富于想象力和创造力的美国人民不断地创造新的俚语,许多旧词都增添了新义,极具幽默与时尚。
如:标准英语中表达“好”的词汇good,excellent,great等已少用,因为它们已无法传达出飞速发展的社会给人们带来的各种刺激和极度兴奋。
所以旧词被赋予了新的含义。
如:You got a new car?Cool!That was a sweet play!在具体语境中,“cool,sweet”被用来表达“好,棒”的意思了。
还有一个表示“欢乐”的词“gay“,除了表示基本意外,还有“同性恋”的意思。
这种任意性也反映了美国人个性化的特点:万事无常规,只为求新奇。
再看俚语用新颖的词汇表达同一事物与概念的例子,例如严厉批评某人,用criticize过于平淡,为了别具一格而造出badmouth;解雇某人,用dismiss似显陈旧,就代之以give sb.the air;为了表达“贪吃,暴食”,人们用了俚语短语make a pig of oneself和eat like a hog,即便这样生动的俚语,使用一久就不够新鲜,为了不落陈套,干脆产生了两个更加新颖简练的俚语hog it和pig out;television一词人们嫌它过于正式或书卷味太浓,因而有了更加新颖的俚语词汇google-box和the one-eyed monster。
(二)幽默诙谐,形象生动。
众所周知,美利坚民族是一个极富幽默感的民族。
他们乐观开朗,富于想象,这在他们的言语中也得到了有力的体现。
美国俚语所体现的幽默诙谐反映了美国人富于创造,追求新奇、自由平等的个性。
纵观美国的俚语词汇,处处都显露着他们幽默的品质。
例如,他们把基地叫做boneyard,把大学叫做brain factory,把空军飞行员叫做fly-fly boy,把消防队员叫做smoke eater,把机械检修工称为grease monkey,用pencil pusher指办公室的文书或办事员,用bottle washer指实验员或勤杂工,这些都含有诙谐意味。
再如,three sheets in the wind(酩酊大醉)使人即刻想到醉汉的那种失去自我控制、脚下轻飘飘站立不稳的狼狈模样和不醒人事的场景。
美国俚语之所以幽默诙谐,是因为它广泛运用委婉语、比喻、夸张等多种修辞手法来达到其生动诙谐逼真的表达效果,寓游戏于文字之间,给使用者带来极大的兴趣。
这也是其主要的语言特色。
俚语中使用最多也最广泛的修辞手法是比喻,如果你是一个couch potato,说明你的生活方式太被动消极了。
整天躺在沙发(couch)上,边吃垃圾食品,边看电视或影碟,岂不与一株枯萎在沙发上的植物potato一样?像这样既生动又幽默的比喻,在美国俚语中比比皆是。
再如:face lace(脸上的带子),形容人上了年纪,脸上布满皱纹。
fat-cat(肥猪),指对政党或竞选资助多的有钱人。
flat-foot(平底足)指警察,因为他们总是东奔西跑,脚都跑平了。
其它的例子还有chicken heart比喻心胸狭隘的,cooler比喻监狱,guts比喻勇气,rat比喻可鄙的人,wheels指代自行车等。
若有人要给你“指节骨三明治”(knuckle sandwich),你就得快跑了,拳头做成的三明治,味道可想而知。
美国俚语另一种经常使用的修辞手法是委婉法。
委婉实质就是采用那些迂回曲折、模糊不清的表达手段来代替直截了当的说法。
当论及疾病或死亡这类人们不愿提及的事时,人们总是避免直接提及。
如表示醉酒的paralyzed,soaked;表示死亡的to turn up one’s toe,go west;表示怀孕的to have a touch of the sun,to be expecting;表示厕所的Ladies,wash room等委婉说法。
显然这样的说法比普通的说法更加形象生动,风趣幽默。
夸张是强调和夸大事实以增强感染力的一种修辞手段,也是美国俚语广泛使用的一种修辞手段。
如:to have eyes bigger than the belly(贪婪);to have face as long as a fiddle(不高兴)。
正如词典学家H.Bradley所说:“没人会满足于总是把事情说得明明白白,司空见惯的词常常由于过于熟悉而失去表现力,若换上一个生动逼真或荒诞可笑的隐语,平铺直叙的语言就会变得生趣盎然。
”(三)简洁明快,节奏感强。
在美国,人们信奉“时间就是金钱”,追求快节奏的生活,做事都讲究省时高效。
这种观念也体现在他们的俚语使用之中。
美国俚语非常简洁,截短词和缩写词是英语俚语的一大特色。
如用ID表示identification(身份证),用flu表示influenza(流感),用Prof 表示professor(教授),用fan表示fantastic(狂热爱好者),用VIP表示a very important person(重要人物)。
用DINK表示double income no kids(丁克家庭,双薪无子),用mingy 表示mean+stingy(小气),等等。
从词汇学角度看,俚语不是靠大量创造新词来表达事物及概念的,除了采用旧词新义或使用截短词和缩写词,大部分的词还是单音节词,正是由于这些词简洁生动,容易上口,并能一词多用,它们往往便于使用和记忆,所以深受人们喜爱。
(四)结构独特,富于乐感。
大量的美国俚语都利用声音的和谐来达到易懂易记、顺口入耳、生动有力的目的,尤其是用押尾韵(rhyme)的手法以达到幽默和生动的表达效果,例如cop-shop(警察局),razzle-dazzle(狂欢、陶醉),hurry-scurry(慌慌张张),tiptop(非常杰出的),chitchat(亲切而闲适的谈话),dilly-dally(游手好闲),super-duper(显著的),wiggle-waggle(摇摆)等。
这种押韵的使用使人们感到节奏生动,语音甜美,有助于语言的广泛传播和顺利交流。
三、美国俚语的语用功能美国俚语来自美国社会的各种亚文化,反映出现代美国生活的各个方面,主要用来表达各种强烈的情感从而使语言形象生动。
一些美国俚语的语义在特定语境中,并非表示词语的表面指称语义,而是表示说话者喜爱、赞美或随意等情感。
如:You are so cool.(你太棒了。
);She is the killer.(那姑娘长得很漂亮。
);His jokes killed me.(他说的笑话把我笑死了。
)。
俚语在很多场合中还用来表示说话者愤怒、怨恨、鄙视等感情,以及说话者诅咒、厌烦、惊讶和强调等语气。
如:Don’t talk shit!(别胡说八道!);Damn the rain!(该死的雨!)。
自然而幽默的生动的美国俚语表示的讽刺挖苦令语言栩栩生动,极具表现力。
美国俚语中把“the Pentagon”(五角大楼,指美国国防部)称为“Target A”(头号目标),既讽刺了美国在世界各地的世界警察角色,又反映了美国人的自由民主、不畏强权的民族个性。
“9.11”事件中,五角大楼真的成了恐怖分子的“Target A”。
还有,美国俚语中把妓女称为“bat”,也可谓惟妙惟肖,这类人的生活模式不正像“蝙蝠”那样昼伏夜出吗?四、结语在语言的演变中,俚语是最令人捉摸不定、比较难以理解的成分。
由于它来源广泛、内容复杂、变化多端,从而使英语成为世界上最复杂、最发达的语言之一。
作为语言中丰富多彩和充满活力的成分,俚语对于多元、勤变、求新、务实的美国英语,其特色尤其明显。
与棒球、苹果馅饼、牛仔一样,美国俚语已成为美国文化的一个象征。
如今,在美国无论是街头闲谈,还是国会里的高谈阔论,无论是文学作品、学术期刊还是通俗杂志,都可以发现俚语的使用。
俚语越来越多地被人们广泛使用,使得俚语逐渐成为美国当代口语的一大特色。
通过探讨美国俚语的语言特色,我们不仅可以了解美国俚语的主要语用功能,而且能从中窥见不断变化的美国语言文化和社会文化的特殊内涵。