美国习惯用语 to put your best foot forward&land on your feet
本文内容导读目录
- 1 美国习惯用语 to put your best foot forward&land on your feet
- 1.1 to put your best foot forward
- 1.2 to land on your feet
- 1.2.1 例句-1: “Better get a haircut before you go to that job interview tomorrow. You want to put your best foot forward because there are twenty other people after the same job.”
- 1.2.2 例句-2: “I finally got a date with that girl I’ve been trying to go out with so long. So I’m putting my best foot forward and sending her a dozen roses and a box of chocolates before I pick her up tomorrow.”
- 1.2.3 例句-3: “My brother Joe got fired for never coming to work on time, but he landed on his feet and found another job that paid twice as much money.”
- 1.2.4 例句-4: “Mr. Green is one of these people who’s not afraid to put his money into some very risky investments. Sometimes he’ll lose out, but somehow he usually manages to land on his feet and find money to put into something else that makes a profit.”
- 1.3 to get off on the wrong foot
- 1.4 to put one’s foot in one’s mouth
- 1.4.1 例句-1: “When Joe went to his new job, he got off on the wrong foot — on the first morning he upset his new boss by arriving at the store two hours late. And right now he’s out looking for a job again.”
- 1.4.2 例句-2: “I finally got a date with that new girl in class but I sure got off on the wrong foot with her: I had car trouble and got to her place almost two hours late.”
- 1.4.3 例句-3: “When Sally told that silly joke about the sailor with one leg she really put her foot in her mouth. She didn’t know the man across the dinner table had a brother at home in a wheelchair.”
- 1.4.4 例句-4: “I certainly put my foot in my mouth at the party last night when I asked Mister Brown to say hello to his wife for me. Somehow I’d forgotten that his wife died six months ago.”
- 1.5
- 1.6 cold feet
- 1.7 jump in and get your feet wet
- 1.7.1 例句-1: “Peter told his wife that this time he was really going to walk in and demand a pay raise from the boss. But when he arrived at the office, he got cold feet.”
- 1.7.2 例句-2: “I really need to get my teeth fixed, but every time I start to phone the dentist, I think about the sound of that drill and right away I get cold feet.”
- 1.7.3 例句-3: “I know most of you are afraid to embarrass yourselves by trying to speak English after these first few lessons. But that’s the best way to learn: when you meet an American, try a few words — jump in and get your feet wet.”
- 1.7.4 例句-4: “I want to get into politics so I’m volunteering to put up signs for one of the people running for mayor. I don’t get paid for it but it’s a chance to jump in and get my feet wet.”
to put your best foot forward
to land on your feet
我们在一般情况下都不太会注意我们的脚，除非你感到脚痛或有什么其他毛病。可是，脚这个字，也就是英文里的 foot 却不时出现在美国成语或俗语里，有时我们的 foot 把我们引向 成功，有时却给我们带来许多麻烦，这全在于我们怎么用这个字了。
比如说，你正在找工作，和某个公司约好了去面谈，或者你第一次要去和一位异性会面，这个时候你就想要给他们一个好印象。这在英文里就是 to put your best foot forward。为了给人造成一个好印象，也就是说 to put your best foot forward，你在去面谈前肯定会尽量把衣服穿得体面一些，在和人面谈的过程中脸上还老是笑容可掬。下面这个例子就是某人在给别人出 主意，如何设法给招工的单位一个好印象：
例句-1: “Better get a haircut before you go to that job interview tomorrow. You want to put your best foot forward because there are twenty other people after the same job.”
这个人在劝他的朋友。他说：“你明天去那个公司面谈前最好去理一下发。你得给他们一个好印象才行，因为有二十多个人都在争夺这个工作。”
我们再来举一个例子说明怎么样用 how to put your best foot forward：
例句-2: “I finally got a date with that girl I’ve been trying to go out with so long. So I’m putting my best foot forward and sending her a dozen roses and a box of chocolates before I pick her up tomorrow.”
这个人说：“我总算和那个女孩约好了明天一起出去玩，这是我长久以来所梦寐以求的。所以，我在明天去接她前先送她一打玫瑰花和一盒巧克力，这样好给她一个好印象。”
你难免有的时候会在生活中或工作中碰到一些麻烦和困难，可是，要是你很聪敏或者是很幸运的话，那末这些麻烦和困难都能得到解决。美国有一个俗语就是形容这种情况的。
这个俗语就是 to land on your feet。 To land on your feet 的字面意思是：你的脚站在地上。可是它的确切含义是：你在经历了一些困难后最后又回到一个稳定的状态，也可以说是逢凶化吉了。 那么，这个俗语的出处是什么呢？有的语言专家认为，这个俗语可能来自对猫的观察。你也许注意到，当一只猫从树上掉下来的时候，它表现出一种特殊的技能：它能在空中还没有落地之前调整自己身体的姿势，从而使自己平安地落地。我们来举一个例子吧：
例句-3: “My brother Joe got fired for never coming to work on time, but he landed on his feet and found another job that paid twice as much money.”
这个人说：“我的弟弟因老是不准时上班而被公司解雇了。可是，他倒是逢凶化吉又找到了一份工作，而且工资还加了一倍。”
下面又是一个例子：
例句-4: “Mr. Green is one of these people who’s not afraid to put his money into some very risky investments. Sometimes he’ll lose out, but somehow he usually manages to land on his feet and find money to put into something else that makes a profit.”
这个人说：“格林先生就是那种不怕冒很大危险去投资的人。有时，他也确实会亏本，但是他总是会逢凶化吉，找到钱去投资生财的。”
to get off on the wrong foot
to put one’s foot in one’s mouth
今天我们要给大家介绍两个由 foot 这个字组成的习惯用语。 Foot 在中文里就是“脚”的意思。由 foot这个字形成的俗语在英文里也不少，它们的意思有的是正面的，例如：to put one’s best foot forward。这是指尽量给人一个好的印象。那末，有的人一开始就给人一个坏印象是怎么说的呢？ You should say: to get off on the wrong foot。 To get off on the wrong foot，这是指某人一开始就没给人一个好印象，或一开始由于某种行为而把事情弄糟了。下面这句话里说的这个人就是一个例子：
例句-1: “When Joe went to his new job, he got off on the wrong foot — on the first morning he upset his new boss by arriving at the store two hours late. And right now he’s out looking for a job again.”
这个人说：“乔找到了一份新的工作,可是他刚开始到那家店里去上班时就给人一个坏印象。第一天上班他就晚到两个小时，让他的老板好不高兴。现在他又在找工作了。”
To get off on the wrong foot 这个俗语实际上可以适用于任何情况。
下面一个例子是一个男学生在说他交女朋友的情况：
例句-2: “I finally got a date with that new girl in class but I sure got off on the wrong foot with her: I had car trouble and got to her place almost two hours late.”
他说：“那天我终于和班上新来的那个女同学约好了出去玩。可是，当天我的车出了问题，晚了两个小时才去接她，所以我一开头就把事弄糟了。”
有意无意做错事、说错话的情况是很经常的。下面我们要讲的一个俗语就是无意中说错了话而伤害了别人，或者叫自己很不好意思。
这个俗语就是：to put your foot in your mouth。
我们来举个例子看看什么样的情况是 to put your foot in your mouth：
例句-3: “When Sally told that silly joke about the sailor with one leg she really put her foot in her mouth. She didn’t know the man across the dinner table had a brother at home in a wheelchair.”
这句话翻成中文就是：“沙莉吃晚饭时说了一个笑话，拿一个只有一条腿的水手开玩笑。她可不知道坐在饭桌对面那个人的哥哥就是个残废，行动都得靠轮椅。”
Sally 如果事后了解情况的话,她肯定会说: “Well, I certainly have put my foot in my mouth.”
下面我们再来举一个例子:
例句-4: “I certainly put my foot in my mouth at the party last night when I asked Mister Brown to say hello to his wife for me. Somehow I’d forgotten that his wife died six months ago.”
这人说：“我昨晚在那个聚会上无意中说错了话。我让布朗先生替我向他的太太问好。不知怎么回事，我忘了他太太已经在半年前去世了。”
cold feet
jump in and get your feet wet
一个人在充满信心的时候往往就会无所畏惧，勇往直前。但是，当一个人对某件事感到胆怯的时候，他就会畏缩不前。我们经常可以看到一种情况：有的人对一件事开始的时候很有信心，很有把握。可是，事到临头就变得没有勇气了。在英文里有一个俗语是用来形容类似情况的，那就是 cold feet。 Cold是冷的意思，feet就是两只脚。 Cold feet 并不是在雪地里走而使你的脚很冷。Cold feet是指临时上场感到胆怯。例如：
例句-1: “Peter told his wife that this time he was really going to walk in and demand a pay raise from the boss. But when he arrived at the office, he got cold feet.”
这句话翻成中文的意思是：“这个名字叫皮特的丈夫对自己的妻子说，这次他可一定要到他老板的办公室去要求增加工资了。可是，他一到了办公室就感到胆怯，不敢去见他的老板。” 这种临阵脱逃的现象是很经常的。下面我们要举的例子恐怕会引起许多人的共鸣：
例句-2: “I really need to get my teeth fixed, but every time I start to phone the dentist, I think about the sound of that drill and right away I get cold feet.”
这个人说：“我实在应该去牙大夫那儿看牙了。但是，每当我拿起电话想和大夫预约的时候，
我就好像听到那钻牙的声音，一下子，我就害怕起来。”
事到临头打退堂鼓，出现 cold feet 的现象也许是一个弱点，但是在美国成语里，把脚弄湿倒是一件好事。
比如说，好些人都在学英语。这是一种外语，许多初学的人都怕难为情不敢用英语来对话。可是，老师很可能就会劝这些学生: “Jump in and get your feet wet. “Jump in and get your feet wet 这个俗语的意思是：到实践中去学，也可以说是跳到游泳池里学游泳。我们来举一个老师对学生说的话：
例句-3: “I know most of you are afraid to embarrass yourselves by trying to speak English after these first few lessons. But that’s the best way to learn: when you meet an American, try a few words — jump in and get your feet wet.”
这位老师说：“我知道你们大多数人感到，刚上了几课英语，就用英语来说话很不好意思。不过，当你见到美国人时，你不妨试着说一点。到实践中去学是最好的办法。”
到实践中去学对于任何事来说都是很重要的。
下面说话的人就认识到例句 jump in and get your feet wet的重要性：
例句-4: “I want to get into politics so I’m volunteering to put up signs for one of the people running for mayor. I don’t get paid for it but it’s a chance to jump in and get my feet wet.”
这个人说：“我希望将来能够到政界去工作，所以我现在在帮一个竞选市长的候选人张贴宣传标语。我帮他做这些事是完全义务的，是没有工资的。但是，这是到实践中去得到一些经验 的好机会。”
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