cloudy
in the clouds
今天我們要給大家講解兩個(gè)由cloud這個(gè)字組成的習(xí)慣用語(yǔ)。大家肯定都知道cloud就是天上的云。天上滿布烏云的時(shí)候,天空往往就變得很暗淡。我們要講的第一個(gè)俗語(yǔ)就是這個(gè)意思。
Cloud這個(gè)字是名詞,意思是云。Cloud后面再加上一個(gè)字母y就成了形容詞,意思是:多云。但是,它的含意也可以解釋為:暗淡、不樂(lè)觀。下面是一個(gè)電臺(tái)播音員在發(fā)表他對(duì)國(guó)際貿(mào)易前景的看法:
例句-1: When you look at all the trouble spots around the globe right now, the future of international trade looks very cloudy.
這位播音員說(shuō):要是你看看當(dāng)前全球所有有問(wèn)題的地方,國(guó)際貿(mào)易的前景看來(lái)是很暗淡的。"換句話說(shuō)也就是,這位播音員認(rèn)為國(guó)際貿(mào)易的前景并不樂(lè)觀。
在天上多云的時(shí)候,許多東西也不像陽(yáng)光燦爛的時(shí)候看的那么清楚。下面這句話就是一個(gè)例子。美國(guó)國(guó)會(huì)兩院對(duì)每一個(gè)新的提案都要經(jīng)過(guò)討論,然后投票通過(guò)。例如,一名記者問(wèn)一位參議員國(guó)會(huì)會(huì)不會(huì)通過(guò)某個(gè)提案。這位參議員回答說(shuō):
例句-2: I'd have to say the chances are cloudy. We have quite a bit of support for this bill but we're not sure that we have enough votes to get it passed.
這位參議員回答說(shuō):"我覺(jué)得很難肯定。支持這項(xiàng)提案的人還不少,但是我們不敢肯定我們會(huì)有足夠的票數(shù)來(lái)通過(guò)這項(xiàng)提案。"
不管是美國(guó)人,還是中國(guó)人,我們每個(gè)人恐怕都有做白日夢(mèng)的時(shí)候。有的時(shí)候,我們一邊走路,一邊在想心事,或者是一邊做什么事,一邊在想其它事情,身邊發(fā)生什么事全然沒(méi)有注意到。美國(guó)人把這叫做:in the clouds。
In the clouds可以解釋為:心不在焉。請(qǐng)聽(tīng)下面這個(gè)例子,這是一個(gè)人在說(shuō)她的朋友:
例句-3: Sally is my best friend but she walked right past me today, and didn't even say hello. Her head certainly was in the clouds--she looked like her mind was a thousand miles away.
這個(gè)人說(shuō):莎莉是我最好的朋友,可是,她今天在我身旁走過(guò),連招呼都沒(méi)有跟我打。她肯定在做白日夢(mèng),看起來(lái)她的心思好像在一千哩以外的地方。
下面的例子講的是一個(gè)學(xué)生。這個(gè)學(xué)生上課的時(shí)候沒(méi)有注意聽(tīng)講,他說(shuō):
例句-4: I was really embarrassed--the teacher asked me a question and I didn't even hear him; I was daydreaming and my head was in the clouds.
他說(shuō):我當(dāng)時(shí)真是非常難堪。老師問(wèn)我問(wèn)題,我根本沒(méi)有聽(tīng)見(jiàn)。那時(shí),我剛好在做白日夢(mèng),思想在開(kāi)小差。