VOA慢速英語(yǔ):詞匯掌故：Nose and Ear

Words and Their Stories: Nose and Ear Expressions

詞匯掌故：Nose and Ear

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

現(xiàn)在是美國(guó)之音慢速英語(yǔ)詞匯掌故。

A person's nose is important for breathing and smelling. The nose is also used in many popular expressions.

鼻子對(duì)呼吸和嗅覺(jué)來(lái)說(shuō)非常重要。Nose還被用在許多流行的表達(dá)方式中。

Some people are able to lead other people by the nose. For example, if a wife leads her husband by the nose, she makes him do whatever she wants him to do.

有些人能夠能夠牽著別人的鼻子走(lead other people by the nose)。例如，如果妻子牽著丈夫的鼻子走，她想讓他干嘛，他就干嘛。

Some people are said to be hard-nosed. They will not change their opinions or positions on anything. If someone is hard-nosed, chances are he will never pay through

the nose, or pay too much money, for an object or service.

有些人被稱為頑固的(hard-nosed)。他們不會(huì)自己對(duì)任何事情的觀點(diǎn)或立場(chǎng)。如果某人很頑固，他從來(lái)不會(huì)付出比真正價(jià)值更高的錢(pay through the nose)，也就是說(shuō)不會(huì)為某件東西或

服務(wù)付出太多錢。

It is always helpful when people keep their nose out of other people's business. They do not interfere. The opposite of this is someone who noses around all the

time. This kind of person is interested in other people's private matters. He is considered nosey.

避免插手他人的事情(keep their nose out of)總是有好處的，他們不會(huì)干涉別人。相反的，有些人總是喜歡打聽(tīng)別人的事(noses around)。這種人對(duì)別人的私事非常感興趣。他被認(rèn)為愛(ài)

追問(wèn)(nosey)。

Someone who keeps his nose to the grindstone works very hard. This can help a worker keep his nose clean or stay out of trouble.

那些鼻子對(duì)著磨刀石的人(keeps his nose to the grindstone，指埋頭苦干)工作非常勤奮。這可以幫助一個(gè)工人循規(guī)蹈矩(keep his nose clean)，避免麻煩。

One unusual expression is that is no skin off my nose. This means that a situation does not affect or concern me. We also say that sometimes a person cuts off his

nose to spite his face. That is, he makes a situation worse for himself by doing something foolish because he is angry.

一個(gè)不太尋常的表達(dá)方式是no skin off my nose，意思是某件事情不影響我，或者與我無(wú)關(guān)。我們還說(shuō)，有時(shí)一個(gè)人損人不利己(cuts off his nose to spite his face)。也就是說(shuō)，因

為他很生氣，做了一些愚蠢的事情，使情況更加糟糕。

More problems can develop if a person looks down his nose at someone or something. The person acts like something is unimportant or worthless. This person might also

turn up his nose at something that he considers not good enough. This person thinks he is better than everyone else. He has his nose in the air.

如果一個(gè)人對(duì)某人或某事不屑一顧(looks down his nose at)，會(huì)產(chǎn)生很多問(wèn)題。這種人的表現(xiàn)就好像是其他事情都不重要或沒(méi)有價(jià)值。這種人還會(huì)對(duì)他認(rèn)為不夠好的東西非常不屑(turn

up his nose at)。這種人認(rèn)為他比其他任何人都好，他非常自大(his nose in the air)。

In school, some students thumb their nose at their teacher. They refuse to obey orders or do any work. Maybe these students do not know the correct answers. My

mother always told me, if you study hard, the answers should be right under your nose or easily seen.

在學(xué)校，有些學(xué)生不尊重老師(thumb their nose at their teacher)。他們拒絕服從任何命令或者做任何工作?；蛟S這些學(xué)生不知道正確的答案。我的母親經(jīng)常告訴我，如果你努力學(xué)習(xí)，

答案非常明顯(under your nose)。

I think we have explained the nose expressions. What about ears? Well, I hope you are all ears or very interested in hearing more expressions. We might even put a

bug in your ear or give you an idea about something. We also advise you to keep your ear to the ground. This means to be interested in what is happening around you

and what people are thinking.

我想，我們已經(jīng)講了很多關(guān)于鼻子的短語(yǔ)。那么耳朵呢?我希望你們?nèi)褙炞⒌貎A聽(tīng)(all ears)更多的短語(yǔ)。我們可能甚至針對(duì)某事為你提出建議(put a bug in your ear)。我們還建議你

注意各方面的動(dòng)向(keep your ear to the ground)。意思是說(shuō)要對(duì)發(fā)生在你周圍的事情和人們的所思所想感興趣。

If you are a good person, you will lend an ear to your friends. You will listen to them when they have a problem they need to talk about. Our last expression is to

play it by ear. This has two meanings. One is to play a song on a musical instrument by remembering the tune and not by reading the music. Play it by ear also means

to decide what to do at the last minute instead of making detailed plans.

如果你是一個(gè)好人，你會(huì)傾聽(tīng)朋友的話(lend an ear to your friends)。如果他們遇到需要找人談一下的問(wèn)題時(shí)，你應(yīng)該傾聽(tīng)他的訴說(shuō)。我們的最后一個(gè)短語(yǔ)是play it by ear。這個(gè)短語(yǔ)

有兩個(gè)意思。一個(gè)是用樂(lè)器演奏音樂(lè)時(shí)通過(guò)記憶，而不是通過(guò)讀譜。play it by ear還有一個(gè)意思是，隨機(jī)應(yīng)變，而不是做出詳細(xì)的計(jì)劃。

1. lead by the nose 牽著鼻子走

eg: Don’t let anyone lead you by the nose, use your own judgment and do the right thing. 不要讓人牽著鼻子走,自己有點(diǎn)主見(jiàn),做該做的事情。

2. hard-nosed adj.頑強(qiáng)的,不屈不撓的,不講情面的

3. pay through the nose

按字面解釋,pay through the nose就是通過(guò)鼻子來(lái)付錢,這聽(tīng)起來(lái)似乎很痛苦,而實(shí)際上,pay through the nose的確切意思是付出比真正的價(jià)值高得多的錢,也可以說(shuō)是付出的錢實(shí)在太多而

讓人感到心痛。eg: My brother Bob borrowed the money to open his restaurant five years ago when the interest rate was very high, so he’s been paying through the nose

ever since.我哥哥鮑伯五年前借錢開(kāi)飯館的時(shí)候正好利率非常高,所以,他從那時(shí)起就一直在大筆大筆地還債。

4. keep one’s nose out of sth 避免插手(他人的事),盡量不卷入

eg: When Billy asked his sister where she was going, she told him to keep his nose out of her business. 當(dāng)比利問(wèn)他姐姐要去哪里時(shí),她讓他別管她的事。

5. nose around / about 找尋,打聽(tīng)(別人的事)

eg: We found a man nosing around in our backyard.我們發(fā)現(xiàn)有個(gè)人在我們后院里找什么東西。

6. nosy adj.好管閑事的,愛(ài)打聽(tīng)的

eg: Don’t be so nosy —it’s none of your business.別管那么多閑事——這與你無(wú)關(guān)。

7. keep one’s nose to the grindstone連續(xù)辛勤地工作

grindstone是"磨刀石"的意思。這個(gè)表達(dá)很形象,按字面意思來(lái)看,是說(shuō)鼻子對(duì)著磨刀石。想象一下一個(gè)人低著頭磨刀的樣子,的確給人一種埋頭苦干的直觀印象啊。而且這個(gè)短語(yǔ)用動(dòng)詞keep

表達(dá)一種持續(xù)的狀態(tài),把"埋頭"的意思更生動(dòng)地表達(dá)了出來(lái)。eg: These years those who’re keeping their nose to the grindstone can’t make bundles. 這年頭,只會(huì)埋頭苦干的人

是掙不了什么大錢的。

8. keep one’s nose clean 循規(guī)蹈矩,不做違法的事

eg: Since leaving prison, he’s man-aged to keep his nose clean. 自從出獄以來(lái),他盡量做到規(guī)規(guī)矩矩。

9. no skin of my nose不關(guān)我的事

字面意思是:沒(méi)有我鼻子上的皮。乍聽(tīng)起來(lái)讓人有些摸不著頭腦,這一俗語(yǔ)的實(shí)際意思是:……與我無(wú)關(guān),我不在乎。eg: Hey, it’s no skin of my nose if Susie’s going out now

with that guy! I don’t care what she does —I broke up with her a month ago, when I met Helen. 嗨,蘇茜現(xiàn)在是否跟那個(gè)家伙好,一起出去玩,這不關(guān)我的事!她干什么我都無(wú)

所謂。我在遇到海倫以后就和她斷了關(guān)系。

10. cut off one’s nose to spite one’s face (惱怒之下)傷人害己,損人不利己

eg: If you resign to inconvenience your boss, you are cutting off your nose to spite your face. 如果你辭職就是為了給你的老板找麻煩的話,那就是吃砒霜藥老虎,傷人害己了。

據(jù)說(shuō),明代才子解縉幼年家住曹尚書(shū)府第竹園對(duì)面,在家門上貼了一副對(duì)聯(lián):"門對(duì)千竿竹,家藏萬(wàn)卷書(shū)。"曹尚書(shū)不忿自己的園景給他借用,于是叫人把竹砍短,最后索性全部砍去。解縉見(jiàn)了,隨

即把對(duì)聯(lián)改為"門對(duì)千竿竹短無(wú),家藏萬(wàn)卷書(shū)長(zhǎng)有"。曹尚書(shū)不但沒(méi)有難倒解縉,而且空自毀了自家的竹林,用英文來(lái)形容就是cut off one’s ，nose to spite one’s face。

11. look down one’s nose at 對(duì)……不屑一顧,蔑視

eg: Harry has never had to work, and he looks down his nose at people in business. 哈里從不需要上班,他也看不起上班的人。

12. turn up one’s nose at看不上,覺(jué)得不屑于(要、吃、做等)

eg: When I gave her the present, she turned up her nose at it.當(dāng)我把禮物給她時(shí),她很不屑。

13. have one’s nose in the air 非常傲慢,自高自大