out of date
老掉牙
“老掉牙”可不是“經(jīng)常掉牙”的意思,所以它的英文表達(dá)里并沒有意為“牙齒”tooth一詞,它實(shí)際上是指“過時的”,用英文表示是out of date。
The joke Bob told us was really out of date.
鮑勃講的那個笑話真是老掉牙了。
對話
A:How about throwing this piece of furniture away? It is out of date.
把這件家具扔了怎么樣?它都老掉牙了。
B:I don't want to. I like it very much.
我不想扔,我很喜歡這件家具。
“老掉牙”還可以說成out of fashion
或者obsolete /??bs?li?t/
follow the fashion
趕時髦
Many young people like to follow the fashion nowadays.
現(xiàn)在許多年輕人都喜歡趕時髦。
對話
A:Mary borrowed some money from me yesterday.
瑪麗昨天向我借了些錢。
B:Oh, she spent a lot of money on following the fashion.
哦,她為了趕時髦花了許多錢。
如果想表示“趕時髦的”
可以用形容詞fashionable
bamboo telegraph
/?bæm?bu?/ /?tel?ɡrɑ?f/
小道消息
“小道消息”的英文表達(dá)中并沒有news一詞,而是用bamboo telegraph來表示。
According to the bamboo telegraph, John was arrested.
有小道消息稱,約翰被捕了。
對話
A:Don't believe those bamboo telegraphs.
不要相信那些小道消息。
B:But some of them are proved to be true.
但是它們中也有的被證實(shí)是真的。
embarrassed /?m?bær?st/
難為情
“難為情”可以理解為“不好意思的”或者“尷尬的”,所以英語中可以用embarrassed表示。
Mary was embarrassed when we asked about her age.
我們問瑪麗年齡的時候,她很難為情。
對話
A:Don't praise me any more. I felt a little embarrassed.
別再表揚(yáng)我了,我都有點(diǎn)難為情了。
B:It is true!
說的是實(shí)話?。?/p>
“難為情”還可以用shy來表示,但該詞多指由于害羞而感到難為情。
chaotic /ke???t?k/
亂哄哄
“亂哄哄”的意思就是“很吵的”,在英語中可以用chaotic表示。
It was chaotic in the company.
公司里亂哄哄的。
對話
A:Why was it so chaotic in the classroom?
為什么教室里亂哄哄的?
B:Because the results of the examination came out.
因?yàn)榭荚嚱Y(jié)果出來了。
“亂哄哄”除了用chaotic表示外
還可以用rowdy /?ra?di/ 或者noisy表示