本單元是關(guān)于 Helen 扭轉(zhuǎn)敗局的對(duì)話
Michal: I told you so!
Tim: Hurry up, I'm getting soaked!
Helen: What's going on here? What a mess! Dad'll kill me.
Michal: It's the water. Tim didn't turn off it before trying to fix the tap.
Helen: Honestly Tim! You're as thick as two short planks sometimes. Michal, turn the water off. Tim, give me the spanner. I'll soon have this sorted.
Tim: What shall I do?
Helen: Get the mop, of course! I want this floor as dry as a bone now! Dad's coming round later to check the flat.
Tim: Is he?
Tim and Michal: Oh no!
Helen: No, I'm just winding you up!
Vocabulary: 詞匯
to get soaked:
to get very wet, often in heavy rain
使弄濕,被傾盆大雨淋濕
as thick as two short planks:
not clever
不聰明
as right as rain:
in normal condition
正常狀態(tài)
a mop:
similar to a broom but for cleaning a floor with water
拖把
to wind someone up (informal):
to tell someone something that's not true, as a joke
捉弄某人,和某人開玩笑
本單元語(yǔ)言點(diǎn)是 as...as 表明喻的短語(yǔ),英語(yǔ)里面有許多使用'as ... as ...' 的習(xí)慣用法,例如:as dry as a bone - This piece of bread is as dry as a bone. I can't eat it. 在這個(gè)句子里,As dry as a bone 的意思是非常干。這種習(xí)慣法用非常相似,而且通常帶有強(qiáng)調(diào)的語(yǔ)氣。
Comparative idioms
There are lots of idioms which use 'as ... as ...' as a key structure. For example, as dry as a bone - This piece of bread is as dry as a bone. I can't eat it. As dry as a bone means something is very dry.
These idioms function as similes and they often carry an emphatic meaning.
Idioms describing personality and behaviour:
描述個(gè)性和行為的慣用語(yǔ)
As thick as two short planks - very stupid, not at all clever (an informal idiom). Planks are flat pieces of wood, often used in house building
As stubborn as a mule - very stubborn, obstinate. A mule is an animal similar to a donkey
As good as gold - very well behaved, often used to describe children
As timid as a mouse - very shy and quiet
Idioms describing physical characteristics:
描述生理特征的慣用語(yǔ)
As strong as a horse - very strong
As strong as an ox - very strong. An ox is a strong animal similar to a cow
As pretty as a picture - very pretty, very attractive
As blind as a bat - very poor eyesight, unable to see. A bat is an animal that flies at night and does not use its eyes, it uses sound
As white as a sheet - very pale or white face, because you are unwell or very scared. Sheets on beds are often white
As light as a feather - not heavy, very light in weight. Birds are covered in feathers
Idioms describing the state of things:
描述事物的狀態(tài)的慣用語(yǔ)
As right as rain - in good and normal condition
As good as new - in very good condition
As safe as houses - very safe, very secure and certain
As sound as a bell - in very good physical condition, e.g. an engine. A bell has to be in good condition in order to make a good ringing sound