致命女人——学习笔记
记录一下致命女人2第一集的一些有趣表达:
1 take people's breath away (美地)令人惊叹不已

女主Alma是一个样貌及其普通的家庭主妇 a plain housewife, 为了能够进入高级俱乐部,想要买一条裙子,希望能够惊艳四座, a dress that will take people's breath away.
Something that takes your breath away 可以形容something美或者惊讶得令人喘不过气,可以去替换extremely beautiful or suprising. 在教学过程中,其实见得更多的是形容词 breath-taking, a breathtaking view of the mountains ( 群山的壮丽景色 )
例子:
I heard this song on the radio and it just took my breath away.
我是从收音机里听到这首歌的,它令我惊叹不已。
造句:
The waterfall cascades down the mountainside, which takes my breath away.
瀑布从山坡上倾泻而下,令我惊叹不已。

2 pinch pennies 精打细算,一毛不拔(偏口语化的表达)
(informal) to
try to spend as little money as possible

为了买一条惊艳四座的裙子dress that will take people,当然要花不少钱, 这时Alma找老公Bertram要钱买裙子,告诉老公 It is no time to pinch pennies.
Pinch作为动词最普通的意思是用食指和拇指捏着,pennies是一分钱硬币,在美国钱币中价值最低,一百个pennies才值一美元,所以好多人对 pennies不屑一顾,甚至都不愿在口袋里带上pennies当零钱花,因为即使装满了一口袋也没多少钱。Pinch pennies从字面来看是紧紧捏着pennies不放,这样的人想必是守财奴了。
造句:Alma and her husband usually pinch pennies.
Alma和她老公通常节衣缩食地过日子。
3 Curiosity got the better of me. 好奇心战胜了我。


something get the better of sth 战胜某人

No one can get the better of her in an argument.
吵架没人能吵地过她。
4 Nothing ventured, nothing gained. 不入虎穴 焉得虎子

venture to do sth 冒险做某事。
例子:A: "I'm thinking of asking my bosses for a raise, but I'm a little bit nervous."
我想跟老板说升职加薪,但是我有点紧张不敢说。
B: "Hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained."
别怕,不入虎穴,焉得虎子。
5 grab a bite 随便吃一口

这个表达在日常口语中很高频,早上起来快要迟到了,我们一般都会在食堂或者路边快速 匆忙吃点东西,这时我们就可以用 grab a bite.