Donny 在北京學(xué)中文。他的中國(guó)朋友要是遇到了不知道用美語(yǔ)怎么說(shuō)的詞,就會(huì)來(lái)請(qǐng)教他。今天是楊林要問(wèn)的:忙。
Donny:Hi 楊琳,what's up? I haven't seen you in ages.
YL: 別提了,我最近特別忙,I am really busy! 忙得四腳朝天,怎么說(shuō)...four feet up!
Donny: four feet up? I can imagine. But in English, we don't say that....You can say I'm up to my neck in work.
YL: I'm up to my neck... in work ? 工作太多,堆到和脖子一樣高?被工作壓得喘不過(guò)氣來(lái)。這個(gè)說(shuō)法太形象了! 還有別的嗎?
Donny: There is another expression that also has to do with body parts. It is "I've got my hands full".
YL: I've got my hands full。我明白了,就是說(shuō)兩手都沒(méi)閑著。
Donny: Exactly. Oh, I just thought of another one---"I have a lot on my plate".
YL: I have a lot on my plate? plate, p-l-a-t-e, plate 不是盤(pán)子么?說(shuō)盤(pán)子里有很多東西,那一定是...忙著吃呢吧?
Donny:That's possible! Anyway, when you say you have a lot on your plate, it means you're busy.
YL: 我知道了。哎呀,我快遲到了,快,再教最后一個(gè)。
Donny: Okay, this one will be easier to remember-- I've got a million things to do!
YL: 太夸張了吧! I've got a million things to do! 有一百萬(wàn)件事情等著我去做。
Donny: Right! Now, Yang Lin, tell me what you've learned today!
YL: 今天學(xué)到的還真不少。形容特別忙可以說(shuō),I'm up to my neck in work,工作堆到脖子了;I've got my hands full, 兩手都占著呢;I have a lot on my plate,盤(pán)子里堆得滿滿的。哎呀! 我得趕緊走人了,I've got a million things to do!