你以爲(wèi) birthday suit 是生日西裝,太天真瞭(le)! 大家都知道英語中很多短語我們是不能直譯的,我們就必須知道多多積(jī)累其本土文化,才能真正地瞭(le)解它的内在含義。 比如這句“birthday suit”是不是很多小夥伴都會(huì)搞錯(cuò)呢! People said to be in their birthday suit are as naked as the day they were born. 所謂的生日西裝是指“赤*身*裸*體”,就像我們出生那天一樣。沒(méi)錯(cuò),birthday suit = nakedness 舉個例子: The towel fell off, and there he was in his birthday suit! 浴巾掉瞭(le),他一絲不挂地出現在那裏(lǐ)!
1.Fold like a cheap suit Fold 作爲動詞(cí),意思是“折疊(dié)”,而作爲名詞(cí)的意思是“褶痕”。 也許因爲(wèi)便宜的西裝由於(yú)其材料薄而更容易起皺, fold like a cheap suit 的意思是“沒什麽(me)阻力便服從(cóng)、屈服或放棄”。 (To offer little resistance; to submit, yield, or give up very easily)舉(jǔ)個(gè)例子: The suspect folded like a cheap suit after some pressure from the prosecution, signing a full confession for the crime. 在檢(jiǎn)方的壓力下,嫌疑人輕易便屈服瞭(le),簽署瞭(le)認罪書。
2.Suit down to the ground 上面兩種用法中,suit 的意思都是“西裝、套裝”,而 suit 還(hái)有“合适”的意思。Suit down to the ground 指“情況(kuàng)非常理想,非常合适”。 (to be ideal for one) 舉個例子: I'm cold all the time, so this hot weather really suits me down to the ground. 我經(jīng)常感覺(jué)很冷,所以這種炎熱的天氣真的很适合我。
3.Clothes make the man 我們(men)常說(shuō)的“人靠衣裝”,在英語中相應的說(shuō)法是 clothes make the man 。 舉個例子: You can judge a man's character based on his clothing and appearance.你可以根據一個人的衣著(zhe)和外表來判斷(duàn)他的性格。
《哈姆雷特》中,莎士比亞筆(bǐ)下的波洛尼烏斯(Polonius)說過:"The apparel oft proclaims the man."Apparel指“(尤指正式場(chǎng)合穿的)衣服,(商店出售的)服裝”。 前綴 pro + claim = proclaim 意爲(wèi)“宣告、宣揚;明確(què)顯示”。 雖然與 clothes make the man 用詞(cí)並(bìng)不完全一樣,但意思都是相通的。 舉個例子: I'm not surprised John was fired for cause—he never dressed professionally, and the clothes make the man. 我對約翰被解雇的原因並(bìng)不感到驚訝——他從(cóng)來不穿正裝,而人靠衣裝。