When small children peek through fences or into windows,they are probably just being curious。When a grown man does the same thing,it is often because he has other motives-and they aren't always innocent or respectable ones。A man snooping like that is a a peeking Tom,"The neighbors have called the police,They are certain there is a peeking Tom in the neighbourhood tonight。
Peek是窺視地意思,一個(gè)小男孩從圍墻或窗戶外偷看別人,可能是由于出于好奇心的驅(qū)使。但是當(dāng)一個(gè)大男人做出同樣的舉動(dòng)時(shí),他就可能有猥褻的念頭。我們稱這樣的人叫”Peeking Tom“。”鄰居們都打電話報(bào)警,說(shuō)今天晚上有個(gè)偷窺狂在附近出沒(méi)!
peek / pi:k; pik/ v [I, Ipr] ~ (at sth) look quickly and often secretively (at sth) 匆匆地(常為秘密地)看(某物); 偷看; 窺視: * No peeking! 禁止窺視! * peek over the fence 向籬笆那邊瞥一眼 * peek at sb's diary 偷看某人的日記.
12. A WINDFALL
Many words in English began as idioms.
A windfall is one of them.
It once referred to fruit that had been blown to the frond by the wind, but has now come to mean sudden good luck--Particularly in receiving money unexpectedly.
eg: "Felix won some money in the lottery and got a welcome windfall."
(那這個(gè)也算吧?)
13. John
John在美國(guó)算是大眾化的名字,除了我們實(shí)驗(yàn)室又一個(gè)John外,每次上德文課,當(dāng)老師叫一聲John來(lái)回答問(wèn)題時(shí)候,此時(shí)教室里又好幾聲回應(yīng)。
一天,我有事情找隔壁實(shí)驗(yàn)室的Albert,找了半天,也不見(jiàn)他的蹤影。正好看到Chuck在聚精會(huì)神的做試驗(yàn)。我問(wèn)他有沒(méi)有看到Albert, Chuck忙的頭也不抬用手往外一指說(shuō):“Check the john。”我想他八成太忙沒(méi)有聽(tīng)清楚,就在重復(fù)了一遍,并且強(qiáng)調(diào)我要找的是Albert,不是John。
Chuck抬頭錯(cuò)愕的看了我一眼,干脆停下了手里的實(shí)驗(yàn),說(shuō):“Follow me。”我們兩個(gè)走到實(shí)驗(yàn)室外,chuck指著不遠(yuǎn)處的廁所說(shuō):“Albert is in the john。”
這是,Albert正好從廁所出來(lái),一時(shí)間我和Chuck不禁相視大笑,我也知道了,John除了用作人名之外,竟然還是廁所的代號(hào)!
14.吹horn
大衛(wèi)和我是搭檔,同一室工作,他頗得公司賞識(shí)。
一天,經(jīng)理叫我請(qǐng)大衛(wèi)去辦公室走一趟。不料大衛(wèi)頭也不抬就答道:“I don't blow my horn。”
辦公室那里有horn(號(hào)角,喇叭)呢?我只好將原話象經(jīng)理復(fù)述。不料他說(shuō):“Then you blow for him。”當(dāng)我發(fā)呆不語(yǔ)時(shí)候,他解釋說(shuō):總公司派人來(lái)了解大衛(wèi),想表彰他。
我明白了,就一五一十地介紹了大衛(wèi),給他吹了一次“horn”。
15.Egghead...
星期天,我們到朋友Helen家看錄像帶。她的弟弟正在電腦旁打報(bào)告,抬頭向我們打了一聲招呼后,完全不受干擾的又繼續(xù)埋頭工作。
Helen說(shuō):“我們看我們的電影,不必管他,he is such an egghead!”“雞蛋臉?不會(huì)吧!我覺(jué)得他應(yīng)該算是方面大耳的國(guó)字臉呀!“我如此的回答。
看我一本正經(jīng)的模樣,大家都笑了起來(lái)。原來(lái),Egghead是指那些有呆氣的讀書(shū)人或者愛(ài)講道理的知識(shí)分子,和什么臉形,面相都無(wú)關(guān)系!
egghead n (infml derog 口, 貶) very intellectual person 很有學(xué)問(wèn)的人:
* The eggheads at the university know nothing about business. 大學(xué)的飽學(xué)之士對(duì)做生意一竅不通.