simple&Life » 新鲜口语

【新鲜口语】la la land

wei — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 04:13:53 +0000

上次把刚出生的宝宝Mateja的录像发给他的妈妈Lindsey，她很是喜欢，但她似乎记不得我到底是什么时候录的像。她email的原句是：“aww i love this!! When did you take it? I must have been in lala land….” 第一次看到la la land这个习语，而且Freeditionary上面居然没有解释，难道这个词比较生僻？于是想到了Urbanditionary.com这个比较正宗而且收集了很多年轻人摆酷口头禅的更有时效性的网站，上面的解释似乎都比较幽默：

You know when you see someone and think, “wow, they’re in their own world.” Well that world is la la land.
例句：Wow, that air-headed cheerleader seems like she’s in la la land. She doesn’t know what in the world is going on.

Lindsey估计产后比较虚弱，精神不太集中，抑或是太沉浸于当妈妈的喜悦中，所以自嘲说神情恍惚，不知道自己身处何地了。这个词用来形容一个人的精神状态：太过于沉浸在自己的思想世界中，而完全忽略了外在其他。

Answers.com上面也有类似的解释：

A state of mind characterized by unrealistic expectations or a lack of seriousness.

不过这里的用连词符号把这个短语写成la-la land，估计应该两种拼法都可以吧。大家都知道LA是洛杉矶的简称，所以la-la land的另一个意思就是作为洛杉矶的代名词（使用这个意思时记得要在句中大写首字母La La Land）。

【新鲜口语】pull no punches

wei — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 19:33:52 +0000

之前在wsj看到一篇关于John McCain的采访文章，题目叫“Pulling No Punches”. Google了才知道pull no punches这个词的意思：是用来形容一种毫无保留的态度。UsingEnglish.com上面有最简洁的解释：

If you pull no punches, you hold nothing back.

FreeDicionary上的解释稍微详细些：

to deal with something honestly without hiding anything. Example: One congressional leader pulled no punches, saying we have a recession. The 20-minute training video pulls no punches, showing chilling pictures of accident victims.
Usage notes: often used in the form not pull any punches: The television network isn’t pulling any punches with the subject matter on its new show.

上面的解释还指出了pull no punches的另一个常用的形式：not pull any punches. 这个词的反义词很明显，就是pull one’s punches. 中文的意思为做事的时候有所保留。Freedictionary上同样有解释：

1. [for a boxer] to strike with light blows to enable the other boxer to win. Example: Bill has been barred from the boxing ring for pulling his punches. “I never pulled punches in my life!” cried Tom.
2. Fig. to hold back in one’s criticism. (Usually in the negative. The one’s can be replaced with any in the negative.) Example: I didn’t pull any punches. I told her exactly what I thought of her. The teacher doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to discipline.

上面解释的第二点侧重提到了“批评”，感觉涉及到批评是这个短语用的很多的地方之一，具体的意思就是批评时毫不留情面，毫无保留。在这种语境下， pull one’s punches 里面的one’s 可以用any来取代而意思不变，具体参见上边的例句。

至于这个词的来历，应该不难猜测。面对对手没有尽全力出击，而把拳头缩了回来，很形象的解释了“有所保留”这个意思。具体的词源解释如下：

This is mentioned in the Archives, but I’ll give it to you straight, without pulling any punches. This is a boxing term. When you pull a punch, you pull back or hold back, so that your punch doesn’t land with all possible force. The transferred meaning of the phrase is similar. If you criticize, but politely and as painlessly as you can, watering your criticism down, you are pulling your punch or punches. But if you really blast someone, you’re pulling no punches.

时间过的真快，想起去年11月在Santa Babara开会时，见证了Obama赢得大选的历史时刻，也同样被McCain的失败演讲深深感动。一晃大半年已经过去，Obama的蜜月期也随着他兜售的政府健康保险计划悄悄结束。John McCain这位年逾古稀富有传奇色彩的斗士，并没有被大选的失败击倒。对Obama表现着足够的个人尊敬，但涉及到执政理念的不同时却又丝毫不保留任何批评，Pull no puches！和与他信念相左的Obamanomics继续着顽强的政治斗争。

有信念并为之坦荡努力一生，这就足以赢得我的敬佩。

【新鲜口语】once bitten, twice shy

wei — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:06:15 +0000

最近几天美国股市表现不错，金融股有高盛摩根的转亏为赢，而且盈利不少，开始讨论大分花红，似乎旧日IB繁荣景象隐约重现。科技股由英特尔打头，给出了比较乐观的未来展望，今天IBM和google的盈利报告锦上添花，为科技股增加了更多亮色，过几天马上还有Apple 和TI，预期应该也不错。据说一直以来，即使在经济不景气的时候，科技股的相对表现还都是领先的，很多分析师也纷纷把宝压在科技股上，希望科技股能带头走出这次经济危机，似乎大家都已经忘了00年时的科技泡沫。今天wsj一篇名为“Intel’s Profit Is Expected to Lead The Tech Pack”的文章用了这样的开头：

For technology investors, it is once bitten, not shy.

开始不是很明白once bitten, not shy的意思，google了一下，发现这并不是一个俚语，真正的常用短语是Once bitten, twice shy. Freedictionary上的解释为：

Once bitten, twice shy.
Prov. When something or someone has hurt you once, you tend to avoid that thing or person. Example: Jill: Let’s go ride the roller coaster. Jane: No, thanks. I got really sick on one of those once—once bitten, twice shy. Another Example: I once sent in money for something I saw advertised in the back of a magazine, but the merchandise was of such poor quality I was sorry I’d bought it. I’ll never buy anything that way again; once bitten, twice shy.

所以Once bitten, twice shy这个词中文最贴切的解释莫过于：一朝被蛇咬，十年怕井绳。UsingEnglish.com上面有类似的释义：

If somebody is said to be once bitten twice shy, it means that someone who has been hurt or who has had something go wrong will be far more careful the next time.

利字当头，华尔街投资者们似乎早就把以前的伤痛抛在脑后，once bitten, still NOT shy!

【新鲜口语】show the ropes

wei — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 01:20:07 +0000

同年级的美国人Jack要用我们组的PPMS测一些他样品的磁学性质，不过他不怎么会用这台仪器，于是写信想让我帮忙，email的最后一句话是：“Do you think you would be available to show me the ropes?” 虽然一下子就明白了他的意思，不过这个习语用法倒是第一次见到，于是就记录一下。Freedictionary上的解释如下：

show somebody the ropes
to explain to someone how to do a job or activity. Example: The new secretary started today so I spent most of the morning showing her the ropes.

中文的意思就是（向某人）解释如何做一项工作或活动。dict.cn上也有中文解释：讲解一下应注意的事项, 差不多意思。

urbandictionary上面除了上面的释义，还有另外一层含义：教训一下不懂规矩的人。这个意思比较好玩，不过也很好理解，新来的不懂行情坏了规矩，自然要有老大出来训导一番: give you some color see see & show you the ropes :)

Show them the ropes
1. To orient a person who is new to your group/neighborhood/city/and such to the rules and modes of operation of the aforementioned.
2. To rough up someone that is in – or against – your group, as a punishment for going against the creed/rules/modus operandi of your particular group (re-orienting them, as it were).

Examples：
1. “Terry, since you’re new to Humboldt, allow me to show you the ropes.”
2. “They ratted on David. That’s not our style. So we’re gonna show them the ropes.“

记得之前在wsj一篇文章里还看到另一个相关的词：on the ropes. Freedictionary上解释如下：

on the ropes
doing badly and likely to fail. Example: His political career is on the ropes.
Etymology: from the idea of a weakened prize fighter who leans against the ropes that surround the boxing ring

从这个词的来源(Etymology)就可以很好地理解它的意思，这里的ropes可以理解为拳击场周围绕起来的绳子，当一个拳击手被打的靠在了绳子上而无还手之力时，说明(他的)状态很糟糕，很可能快要失败。

发现和rope相关的习语freedictionary上还有很多，有兴趣可以自己去看一下。这里再列出两个好玩的：at the end of one’s rope, 意思是快到某人能忍受的极限；Give someone enough rope and he’ll hang himself, 这个更加形象，意思是对某人做坏事不加制止，而是采取放任自流的态度，相信某人到最后一定会多行不义必自毙。

写到最后突发奇想，会不会有against the ropes这个习语？google了一下似乎没有收获，不过倒发现这是一部电影的名字，而且不幸似乎是个烂片。

【新鲜口语】irons in the fire

wei — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:15:22 +0000

实验室开组会的时候经常听到老板嘀咕这个词，不过一直不清楚到底是ion, 还是iron，更不要说确认这个俚语的含义了。后来google了一下，才知道老板说的是irons in the fire。我的听力一向不咋的，上次回国签证面谈的时候VO问我要了几次旧护照，愣是没有听清楚，结果还要Jing提醒我，让VO很是觉得诧异。查玩后再一想，即使没听清楚，iron（铁）的可能性也更大些，既然是生活中的习语，应该不会用到ion（离子）这么专业的词吧。估计我平时ion source这个词说多了，唉，可怜的科技民工。一般我们组会老板谈论最多的都是他的Funding申请情况，这个词便是在这样的语境中频繁出现。Freedictionary的解释如下：

iron in the fire
An undertaking or project in progress. Example: has many irons in the fire this year.

老板谈话的大意也差不多，意思就是我们现在具体有多少项目正在进行中。UsingEnglish.com上面的解释也是类似的很简洁的一句话：

A person who has a few irons in the fire has a number of things working to their advantage at the same time.

这里又多补充一点隐含的意思，意思是这些进行中的项目都是有好处的，有帮助的。这也很好理解，就像对于教授来说：项目申请到的越多，能花的钱就越多，招兵（学生）买马（设备），一个实验室很快就搭建起来了。至于怎么理解这个短语的起源，应该也是很自然的，在火种的烙铁，自然是正在进行的还没有打好的铁，其引申义不言而喻。

Freedictionary上还有一个十分类似的短语：have too many irons in the fire

to be doing too many things at once. Example: Tom had too many irons in the fire and missed some important deadlines. It’s better if you don’t have too many irons in the fire.

和Iron相关的还有几个常用的短语：

iron something out
1. 本意：烫平，熨平。to use a flatiron to make cloth flat or smooth. I will iron the drapes out, so they will hang together. I ironed out the drapes.
2. 引申义：解决摆平问题。to ease a problem; to smooth out a problem. (Here problem is synonymous with wrinkle.) It’s only a little problem. I can iron it out very quickly. We will iron out all these little matters first

rule with an iron fist
引申义：铁拳统治。to rule in a very stern manner. The dictator ruled with an iron fist and terrified the citizens. My boss rules with an iron fist. I’m looking for a new job.

Strike while the iron is hot.
引申义：趁热打铁。 When you have an opportunity to do something, do it before you lose your chance. This is the best time in the last ten years to buy a house. Strike while the iron is hot. Ask Lisa for a favor now, while she’s in a good mood. Strike while the iron is hot.

看到了这个熟悉的“趁热打铁”的成语，中英文居然十分的对应。于是想会不会有“恨铁不成钢”这个词的英文呢？去Dict.cn上一查，嘿，居然还真有：“hate iron could not turn into steel” 不愧是中国人自己搞的英语词典网站啊，哈哈。不过其他地方貌似都没有查到，这个搞笑的翻译应该是典型的Chinglish吧。

【新鲜口语】pull the strings

wei — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 02:18:47 +0000

很久不更新【新鲜口语】了，倒不是英语有了多大的进步，而是学到了新词最多当时google一下，懒得过后再温习。记得刚学英语的时候听到一种说法：要想真正掌握一个词，必须在不同场合至少使用过五遍以上。不是听过，而是使用过。pull the strings 听得最多的是从我们可爱的导师那里，大家其实都不同程度上挺崇拜他，只要是工作中提出的要求，基本上他都会尽力满足。每次要完成一项任务而大家一筹莫展的时候，他的口头禅就是：“I’ll see if I can pull some strings..” 结果往往是很快就把事情搞定。能搞到钱自然是很重要的一方面，这一点对他来说也不在话下，更重要的是他考虑问题都从我们学生自身的利益出发, 为我们的长远发展着想，这才是最难能可贵。

又扯远了。。!-_-! 看一下Freedictionary的解释：

to control the actions of a person or group, often secretly I’d like to know who’s pulling the strings in that organization, because it’s not the elected committee. He wanted to make his own decision, with no one pulling his strings.

从上面的例句可以看书，pull the strings具体用的时候也可以说 pull somebody’s strings. 从个人理解来说觉得这个词上面的解释“控制某人或者某个集团的动作”不是十分确切。感觉更确切的解释应为“利用个人影响力来操纵控制，以达到某些目的”。应该更强调“个人的影响力”。呵呵，也许是经常从老板口中听到这个词的缘故。

又查了一下Answers.com，发现这里的解释和我的理解才更接近些，而且解释说其中的strings也可以用wires来代替。更解释这个词的来源于用线操控木偶，这样应该就更容易理解了。

Use one’s influence, as in By pulling strings he got us house seats to the opening, or His father pulled some wires and got him out of jail. Both terms allude to manipulating a marionette. The first dates from the second half of the 1800s, the second from the early 1800s.

第一个英文解释中有“secretly”这个形容词，而这个俚语的来源则是操控（manipulate）玩偶，看起来这个词似乎有点贬义。不过既然是老板的口头禅，在其他正常的场合也听过几次，所以应该更可能是一个中性词。就像英语口语中问人借东西，可以用“steal”这个词代替“borrow”，不过一般是在比较熟的人非正式的谈话中。又想起来另一个很常见的词：no strings attached！中文意思是“无任何附加条件”。个人感觉这里的strings应该同样来源于上面的牵线木偶(marionette).

【新鲜口语】wing it

wei — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 02:59:23 +0000

上个礼拜去APS March Meeting之前，大家商量集合出发的事情，然后David就发了个比较搞的email: “We should just wing it.” 然后我就有点糊涂，不确定他什么意思。正好碰到组里新来的美国学生Ryan，Ryan是CMU毕业的高材生，学识渊博，而且很乐于授业解惑，于是他解释给我听，大意是做事情没有预先准备，随性而为(no planning, do it on the fly)。居然用一个slang来解释另一个slang, 我也是无语了。幸亏还知道on the fly的大概意思。Freedictionary对于on the fly的解释为：

on the fly (American)

if someone does something on the fly, they do it quickly and without thinking carefully before they do it. She was the sort of person who would make decisions on the fly rather than allowing herself time to think.

wing it和on the fly既然可以互相解释，意思应该就差不多了。对此Freedictionary同样有解释：

to improvise; to do something extemporaneously. I lost my lecture notes, so I had to wing it. Don’t worry. Just go out there and wing it.

发现improvise和extemporaneously两个单词都很陌生，好像从来没有在口语中用到过，汗一个！

忽然意识到这么多词表示的意思都差不多，以前有的时候还抱怨英语词汇的贫瘠，远不如汉语博大精深，比如说形容什么东西好就那几个词：great, awesome, excellent, perfect, super, fantastic… 现在就看这组近义词：wing it, do it on the fly, improvise, extemporaneously, 对了，想起来还有一个以前说过的：fly by the seat of pants！似乎也不少了，而且其中细微的差别，估计一时半会也真正掌握不了，呵呵，再汗一个。

【新鲜口语】a fish out of water

wei — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 20:27:16 +0000

不确定是什么语境下碰到的这个词组，印象中已经不止一次。这个词没有什么好多说的，离开了水的鱼，感觉如何不言而喻。Google金山词霸上的中文解释是“因环境不熟悉而感到不舒服〔尴尬〕的人”。

Freedictionary上解释如下：

someone who is uncomfortable in a particular situation. After living in Hong Kong for most of his life, Lee was a fish out of water in Los Angeles.

这好像是目前为止最简单的一个短语^_^

【新鲜口语】play hooky

wei — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 00:57:45 +0000

圣诞前的那个礼拜，实验室的Kevin一直没有show up, 连我们庆祝实验室的Postdoc荣升Research Associate Prof. 的午餐也没有来，更没有收到他任何身体不适的email，于是大家觉得有些奇怪。David就笑着说: “He must be playing hooky.” 意思是他没有请假，没得到老板的同意就擅自不来学校。其实之前我腿扭伤在床上躺了一个多礼拜，也没有和老板正式请假，也算是“played hooky”。Hooky字面上的意思是“多钩的”，来自于它的名词”Hook”. 发Hook这个词音的时候要小心干脆，不要后面拖一个“呃(er)”，否则就完全是另一个不怎么礼貌的词。不过查了一下Answers.com，“Hooky”直接就有“An unexcused absence” 的意思，看来“play hooky”这个词还是挺常用。这也难怪，小孩子喜欢逃学也不是什么少见的事。

来自Freedictionary的解释：

to stay away from school without permission. Any kid who’s not in school at this time of day must be playing hooky.

Usage notes: sometimes refers to staying away from a job or avoiding a duty: I decided to play hooky from work so I could go to the ballgame.

UsingEnglish上面有类似的解释，不过更强调了”Play Hooky”所代表的逃学通常是没有什么正当理由的逃学：

If people play hooky, they don’t attend school when they should and don’t have a valid reason for their absence.

Phrases.org.uk关于这个短语的来源，看一下也挺有趣：

PLAY HOOKY – “There is no widely accepted explanation for the word ‘hookey’ or ‘hooky.’ An Americanism that arose in the late 19th century, when compulsory attendance laws became the rule in public schools, ‘hooky’ may be a compression of the older expression ‘hook it,’ ‘to escape or make off,’ formed by dropping the ‘t’ in the phrase. Or it could be related to the old slang word ‘hook,’ meaning ‘to steal,’: kids stealing a day off from school. ‘Hooky’ has so often been associated with going fishing that it may even owe its life to ‘getting off the hook’ the way a fish can; anyway, school is often insufferable as a hook to schoolchildren and many kids squirming in their seats all day look like they are on a hook.” From “Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins” by Robert Hendrickson (Facts on File, New York, 1997).

(Note: in the U.S. “public schools” are run by government.)

Another expression for “playing hooky” or “playing sick” — “taking a mental health day.”

把小孩子逃离学校比作鱼儿从钩子脱钩，的确够形象:)

【新鲜口语】a fly on the wall

wei — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 23:33:44 +0000

最近更新blog的频率越来越低，主要是年关将近，实验室各种项目评审加会议，虽然作为学生只是小喽喽，也要帮着准备一些presentation的材料之类。下个礼拜去LA开会，确切的说是UCSB，不知道能不能和SF的脚哥见一面。。

前段时间开始看一些政治讽刺类的talk show，比如说有名的The Daily Show, Coblert Report, 听说最近还出了一个Chocalote News，这些都是Comedy Central频道的栏目。还有一个好莱坞八卦的talk show叫做Jimmy Kimmel Live。关于这个Jimmy Kimmel还有一个比较搞得故事，下回有空再另写一篇充数。这类talk show的类似点就是嘲讽政治，娱乐大众。在美国嘲讽政客，特别是总统似乎成为电视节目的主要搞笑来源之一。更有人甚至担心如果布什下台，大家就失去娱乐谈笑的对象了，不过不必担心，不管是Maccain还是Obama上台，大家都会接着继续恶搞他们，继续happy, 美利坚的光荣传统而已。事实上Maccain本来就是非常幽默的人，Obama看上去比较严肃，不过要是有机会看一年一度的Alfred Smith Memorial Foundation晚宴上两人的搞笑演讲，就会看到两人，还有N多民主党议员大佬们幽默搞笑完全不同轻松的另一面。

恩，又一次走题了。“a fly on the wall”. Daily Show的主持人Jon Stewart似乎很喜欢这个词。顺便说一句，本人还是很喜欢看Jon Stewart的节目，他的表情丰富语言也及其搞笑，最近主持过两届奥斯卡，应该天生是喜剧演员的料。关于这个词，最近Daily Show的一个典型场景就是，编辑Maccain在不同场合自相矛盾的视频片段，然后拼到一起在同一个画面播出，效果当然是非常搞笑的。然后Jon看到Mccain被大家嘲笑了一番，就会很心满意足的说：”I really wish I could be a fly on the wall when he told this!“ 意思就是希望能目击Maccain当场出丑的样子。看一下Freedictionary的解释：

if you say you would like to be a fly on the wall in a certain situation, you mean that you would like to be there secretly to see and hear what happens. I’d give anything to be a fly on the wall when she tells him.

someone who can secretly see and hear what happens. I would love to be a fly on the wall at that meeting.

意思很简单，a fly on the wall 就是像一只墙上不起眼的苍蝇，秘密地目击事情的发生。所以要是下回你打算做什么坏事，想一想说不定某处就有a fly on the wall, 在偷偷注视着你的一举一动^_^

【新鲜口语】go out on a limb (House said No to Bailout Plan!)

wei — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:45:26 +0000

Paulson一手炮制的政府7000亿美元救市计划在众议院205-228被否决了！下一步究竟怎么办，虽然修改计划再次表决是一定的，但救市的力度以及政府究竟会给Paulson和Bernanke多大的权力，一切还是未知数，让我们拭目以待吧。今天wsj的另一头条是Citi同意购买Wachovia Bank. 大家可能不熟悉Wachovia，这家总部和BofA同样在北卡夏洛特的地区性银行，如果没记错的话，应该是美国规模第四大的商业银行，最近受经济危机的影响，股票已经跌了90%. 之所以说到Wachovia，因为这是我来美国开户的第一家银行，而且一直使用到现在，它的customer service也是一流。只不过就像一位华尔街高管所说，当海啸来临时，无论你是奥运游泳冠军还是旱鸭子，都逃脱不了一样的厄运。而真实的原因在我看来却仍然是出于人的本性：贪婪！

又一次地跑题了，今天在wsj关于救市计划被否决的文章里面看到的这个词组：go out on a limb. Limb这个单词我感觉平时不怎么用到，是树枝，躯干的意思。在分析这个救市计划被否决的原因时，文章的原文如下：

Many lawmakers said they weren’t willing to go out on a limb. Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D., Calif.) said there still were “major questions unanswered” about the need for bailout.

意思就是说，很多议员对于这个救市计划还是很充满疑问，在不完全了解情况的前提下，他们是不愿意做出头鸟，率先支持这个救市计划。这里的中文翻译比较勉强，希望不是太离谱。至于确切的解释。首先看一下Freedictionary：

if you go out on a limb, you state an opinion or you do something which is very different to most other people. I don’t think we’re going out on a limb in claiming that global warming is a problem that must be addressed. Rob Thompson, the producer, admits the series is going out on a limb in that it is quite different to anything else currently on television.

看来这里的解释是用语言或者行动支持一种与大多数人都不相同的观点，作出和大多数人都不相同的举动。侧重点在于强调和大多数人的不同。Phrases.org.uk 则有略微不同的解释：

Put oneself in an isolated or disadvantaged position in one’s support of someone or something.

这个解释更强调go out on a limb所产生的后果，会致人于孤立的境地。这就是很多议员不愿意表态支持的原因，因为总的来说，美国大众对于华尔街和大投行们搞的复杂金融产品以及如今的烂摊子是持负面态度的，议员们很多时候都要考虑到自己选区选民的情绪。再回过头来说这个词的来源，同样来自于Phrases.org.uk：

The clear allusion in this phrase is to climbing trees. All of us must remember that feeling of not wanting to go further out to reach that apple/ball or whatever for fear that the branch (limb) would break under us. The first uses of it in a figurative sense, with no reference to actual trees or climbing, come from the USA at the end of the 19th century.

用爬树的经历来联系这个词，是不是很形象呢 :)

在Google这个词的时候又发现了另一个网站GoEnglish.com，它上面的解释也很不错：

To put yourself in a risky position in order to help another person is to go “out on a limb” for them. Example: “You know I’m always here to help you and would go out on a limb if you asked me to.” As you climb “out” farther “on a limb” of a tree, there is a greater chance that the limb might break and you would be hurt. Example: “I’ve already gone out on a limb; there is nothing more I can do for you.” To go “out on a limb” is to put yourself in a dangerous position in order to get something done. Example: “I want this project to succeed just as much as you do, but I am not willing to go out on a limb.“

PS: 在wsj的这篇文章里还看到另一个新词：rank and file. 查了一下意思，普通士兵们(老百姓们,普通成员们). 在这里的文章中主要用作形容词，来描述rank and file lawmakers（大部分普通议员们）的情况，比如：

For rank and file lawmakers, the vote forced upon them produced anger and soul-searching about the economic and political costs of the bailout, and a difficult choice: whether to safely vote no on an issue unpopular with voters or swing behind a measure the nation’s top economic leaders insist is needed to avoid a recession.

【新鲜口语】draw a line in the sand (Say goodbye to Lehman, Merrill…)

wei — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 04:18:10 +0000

09/14/08这个周末注定要成为美国金融史上历史性的时刻。Lehman Brothers在经过紧张的多方会谈之后，被收购无望，被传开始起草破产申请；银行巨无霸之一的美洲银行已经达成收购另一大巨头美林的协议，从而成为更加庞大的的金融巨人；而美国最大的保险公司AIG已经在考虑资产重组来试图逃离危机。。。华尔街的版图将在即将到来的周一重新书写！

BofA收购Merrill的交易以及Lehman的命运之所以被称为戏剧性，是因为不超过48小时的早一些的时候，BofA 还被视为类似三月份拯救Bear Sterns的JP Morgan，被指望可能和Lehman达成收购协议。而今天早上CNBC的头条则已经把Barclays看作是最后有可能拯救Lehman的唯一人选，不过到下午一点的时候，这个可能也宣告破裂了。主要的原因之一，是刚刚宣布接管两房的美国政府不愿意再像之前对Bear Sterns那样，用纳税人的钱来支持这次的Lehman收购。看到美国政府撒手不管，Barclays也最终放弃了这一雄心勃勃的收购计划，决定不再趟这趟浑水。

draw a line in the sand，就是在wsj的相关文章里看到的。美国政府这次明确表明自己的立场，和Lehman的收购划清界限，表示不再愿意用纳税人的钱来支持被收购的Lehman，基本上决定了Lehman最终走上破产的道路。看一下Freedictionary对这个词的解释：

to say that a particular idea or activity will not be supported or accepted. The president has drawn a line in the sand, which means that if the foreign troops are not removed, they will be attacked.
Etymology: based on the idea of literally making a mark in sand to show someone they cannot move across it

应该是比较形象容易理解的一个短语，在沙里面划了一条线，意思为最终下结论，主要特指明确表明不支持某种观点或行动，认为对某种观点或者行动必须明确反对，表明立场，

还有一个类似的短语：cross the line. 大意是超越界限，做不应该做的事。这里的line和上面短语中的应该是同样的意思。

让我们拭目以待，见证美国金融史上又一个动荡时刻。沧海桑田，即使久居世界财富500强的百年老店如Lehman Brothers及Merrill Lynch，都将很快可能成为荣耀伤感的过去。

延伸阅读>> (CNBC) Bloody Sunday: Wall Street Is Hit by Financial Tsunami
(WSJ) Crisis on Wall Street as Lehman Totters, Merrill Is Sold, AIG Seeks to Raise Cash

【新鲜口语】through thick and thin

wei — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 21:57:29 +0000

还是在听Economist的mp3时发现的一个新短语：through thick and thin. 忽然记得曾经有人说过，如果要真正掌握一个单词或者短语变成自己的语言，至少要在生活中接触并使用5次以上(也许是三次，记不清楚了)，不过意思是明确的，反复接触积累加上主动的应用，才会慢慢变成自己的东西，没有特殊的天赋，学语言应该就只能是这样慢慢积累了：）

又跑题了。。。回过来看一下Freedictionary的解释：

including both good times and bad times. Dogs are real friends because they are loyal to you through thick and thin and don’t expect more than food and approval in return.

Usage notes: sometimes used in the form stick together through thick and thin to support one another in good or bad times: The brothers promised they would stick together through thick and thin.

单从字面上也大概可以理解，个人觉得荣辱与共，不离不弃应该就是这个词的中文意思。顺便查了一下Dict.cn，发现中文解释是不顾艰难险阻,在任何情况下，似乎更接近英文的本来意思。

Answers.com上面的解释更加全面一点：

Despite all obstacles or adversities, as in She promised to stand by him through thick and thin. This term alludes to penetrating a forest with both thick and sparse undergrowth. Today it is nearly always used with the idea of supporting something or someone in all circumstances, as in the example. [Late 1300s]

【新鲜口语】shits and giggles

wei — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 01:50:28 +0000

又一个和shits有关的口语:)不过不用紧张，其实美国人特别是年轻人这个字用的比较多而且广，几乎可以和Fxxx/ing媲美，并不是什么程度特别深的坏词。Anyway, 这个词是昨天在办公室从Kevin那学到的。我们有一台PPMS，测量材料性质的，因为功能比较多，实验室很多人都要用，为了避免冲突，搞了一个Google Calendar，大家预先在上面登记了然后使用。早上的时候是轮到Kevin用，因为之前他已经在Calendar登记了，要用到下午五点，然后是我用。然后早上的时候我就和和他开玩笑地说，你机器用的怎么样了啊，要是现在好了就给我用吧。他也知道我是在开玩笑，于是顺着我的话假装认真的说：”Wei, come on, I didn’t book the PPMS for shits and giggles!” 意思就是说，“我预订这个机器是认真的，并不是闹着玩儿的。”所以shits and giggles的意思就是为了好玩而做一些简单愚蠢的事情。似乎这样的中文解释不是很地道，还是看看辞典的解释吧，比如说Urbandictionary：

1）excitement gained from an often simple action or occurence; often used to explain reason in response to a stupid question.
Tom: “why the hell did you do that?”
Sue: “just for shits and giggles.” (aka, just for the hell of it)

2）To do something for amusement or to annoy someone else.
Let’s just do it for shits and giggles.

3）just for fun, a little kick in the pants
Let’s go put a flaming bag of shit on Mr.Henderson’s doorstep, ya know, just for Shits and giggles!

三个词条解释基本类似，只有细微的差别，不过也好像就在Urbandictionary上面有这个解释，可能不是那么流行吧。我问了实验室的一个美国女同学，她说知道这个词，不过她很少说，估计是女生的缘故吧：）

【新鲜口语】a drop in the bucket

wei — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:59:46 +0000

今天比较反常，昨晚快两点入睡，早上七点起来去了趟卫生间，刚躺下，忽然想到实验上一个问题，有点思路，于是大脑一兴奋就再也无法入睡，索性起床洗漱，生平第一次八点就到了实验室，于是一边做实验，一边想问题。。。感觉不错^_^

又跑题了，呵呵。来的时候在校车上听上个周末第一次下载的Economist的朗读版。这个杂志的中文叫经济学人，虽然是英国出版的杂志，但80%的读者对象来自其他国家，美国也是它报道的一个重点，顿时让我想起英国屁颠屁颠跟在美国后面出兵伊拉克的情形，风水轮流转啊，呵呵。唯一不爽的是朗读的是英国口音，有一点点不习惯，不过还凑合，而且英国口音有个好处是发音特别清楚，正好和含混不清的美式发音中和一下：）

还是在跑题啊，汗。。回过来说我听到的这个短语吧，说实话因为写博客的缘故，平时听mp3和电视广播时自然对接触的短语有些敏感，听到一个第一次接触的短语，有机会就要上网去Freedictionary或者Dict.cn查一下，看是不是可以用来作为凑数的文章:) 今天果然又被我逮到一个：a drop in the bucket

还是看看Freedictionary的解释吧，这似乎已经成为我查俚语的最主要来源了，主要是感觉比较全，所以推荐一下：

a drop in the bucket
a very small or unimportant amount. What we were paid for our work was a drop in the bucket compared to what the company earned.

还有Answers上面的解释也差不多，不过另外给出了这个词的来源：

A very small quantity, especially one that is too small. For example, These contributions are just a drop in the bucket; the new church wing will cost thousands more. John Wycliffe’s followers used this seemingly modern phrase in their translation of the Bible (1382), and it also appears in the 1611 King James version (Isaiah 40:15): “Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance.”

意思很明白，数量很小，微不足道。想到一个成语：杯水车薪。呵呵，看来中文还没有完全忘掉，不过去Dict.cn一查，看到一个更牛更强大的成语解释：沧海一粟！

【新鲜口语】bite your tongue

wei — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:48:35 +0000

很久没有认真阅读wsj了，每天基本都是进去首页晃一下，看一下标题就完事。今天看到关于McCain选了Alaska的美女州长作为VP人选，于是就点击文章大概看了一下。这个曾经是阿拉斯加小姐候选人的美女州长，看来要被McCain作为一张出其不意的好牌，来对抗Obama-Biden组合，不过至于效果如何，还得等到11月的大选再说。

好像有点离题，还是来说bite my/your tongue这个短语吧，是在上面所说的wsj文章里面看到的。具体语境没有什么大的关联，虽然我第一眼也没有能从字面猜出它的确切意思。于是就查了一下Freedictionary:

to stop yourself from saying something because it would be better not to, even if you would like to say it. I really wanted to tell her what I thought of him but I had to bite my tongue.

Urbandictionary上面的解释也比较类似：

When a person wants to say something that may be offensive or hurtful to someone, so instead says nothing.

Opposite of speaking your mind.
She asked me if I liked her play. I just bit my tongue and nodded.
If somebody asks if you think there is something wrong with them, it is best to bite your tongue and say nothing.

呵呵，看了解释才知道确切含义，总之一句话：沉默是金！有些不该说话的场合，实在憋不住就“咬住自己的舌头”吧^_^