1. How many pages did you end up with?你的(報(bào)告)最后有幾頁(yè)?

　　依照大多數(shù)人的習(xí)慣, “你的報(bào)告最后有幾頁(yè)”這句話通常會(huì)把它翻譯成, "How many pages did you get finally?"是不是啊?但事實(shí)上如果是老美來說這句話,他們會(huì)說的是, "How many pages did you end up with?"也就是說,當(dāng)老美提到“最后”這個(gè)概念時(shí),他們通常用的是end up with這個(gè)片語(yǔ).所以如果你要說, “看了那么多的房子之后,我們最后還是買了湖邊的那棟房子”就是, "After seeing so many houses, we ended up with buying the one on the lakeside."

　　所以End up with也有“最后有什么樣結(jié)果”的意思,再舉個(gè)六人行(Friends)里面的例子,有一次Monica問 Rachel和牙醫(yī)師約會(huì)的結(jié)果怎樣?她的回答就是, "We ended up having sex on his chair." (我們結(jié)果在他的椅子上發(fā)生關(guān)系) Monica聽了之后差點(diǎn)沒昏倒.我想大家不難從這幾個(gè)例子當(dāng)中發(fā)現(xiàn),在許多地方用end up with會(huì)比f(wàn)inally來得更為恰當(dāng).

　　2. That project turned out to be a big flop.那個(gè)計(jì)劃變成一個(gè)大失敗.

　　講到“變成...”這個(gè)動(dòng)詞, become會(huì)是許多人唯一能想到的英文翻譯.所以這個(gè)例句許多人會(huì)翻成"That project became a big flop."對(duì),這樣講完全沒錯(cuò),但各位下次不妨可以學(xué)老美用turn out這個(gè)片語(yǔ)來代替become.這樣子這個(gè)句子就會(huì)變成"That project turned out to be a big flop."聽起來有沒有比較順口呢?

　　另外老師上課時(shí)在講到數(shù)學(xué)運(yùn)算時(shí)也常說turn out例如最常見的, "If you multiply the first equation by 2, the two equations will turn out to be exactly the same." (如果你把第一個(gè)式子乘以2,這兩個(gè)式子就會(huì)完全一樣.)

　　3. I ate salad, soup, steak and pudding. On top of that, I drank two cups of coffee.我吃了沙拉,湯,牛排和布丁,除此之外,我還喝了兩杯咖啡.

　　講到除了什么什么之外,以前老師教我們的都是besides, in addition to (包含的除外),不然就是except (不包含的除外,詳見注1)所以這個(gè)例句一般人的講法會(huì)是, "Besides/In addition to salad, soup steak and pudding, I drank two cups of coffee."但除了besides/in addition to之外,老美也很喜歡用on top of that這個(gè)片語(yǔ).而且當(dāng)他們?cè)谥von top of that都還會(huì)特別強(qiáng)調(diào)加強(qiáng)語(yǔ)氣.通常能表現(xiàn)出一種夸大的語(yǔ)氣來吸引聽者的注意.比方說吧!. “她的未婚夫不但有五棟房子和二部豪華轎車,銀行里還有十億元的存款”在這里重點(diǎn)是最后的十億元存款,所以句子這么造, "Her fiance has five houses and two luxury cars. On top of that, he has 1 billion dollars in the bank."

　　4. We're gonna have two parties back-to-back next weekend.下周末我們將連續(xù)有兩場(chǎng)派對(duì).

　　“連續(xù)”這個(gè)概念在英文中的說法有很多.最簡(jiǎn)單的可以用單一副詞consecutively,例如例句就可以翻成"We're gonna have two parties consecutively next weekend."當(dāng)然你也可以用片語(yǔ)in a row或是back-to-back來替換這個(gè)consecutively. In a row原意是排成一列,例如three days in a row就是三天排成一列,也就連續(xù)三天的意思.而 back-to-back字面上則是“背貼背”,當(dāng)然也有連續(xù)的意思在內(nèi).所以比方說期末考到了,哇咧,明天居然連續(xù)考三科.這個(gè)用英文說出來就是"We'll have three tests in a row tomorrow."或是"We'll have three tests back-to-back tomorrow."

　　5. I have another class right after this.我隨后(下一堂)還有課.

　　我剛來美國(guó)時(shí)常被諸如, “我隨后(下一堂)還有課”, “下一輛公車隨后就到”這樣的句子困擾.原因是我覺得“隨后”如果翻成immediately (馬上)似乎不太對(duì),但又想不出什么其它替代方案.后來我才慢慢了解原來“隨后”就是用right after或是right behind. (單指空間上的之后)所以要是上課時(shí)坐隔壁的不帥的

　　男生 問你, "Have a cup of coffee with me after class?" (下課后一起去喝杯咖啡嗎?)拒絕他就是, "I'm sorry, but I have another class right after this." (很抱歉耶,我下一堂還有課.)或是像有時(shí)候公車擠不上去,司機(jī)伯伯就會(huì)告訴我, "There is another bus right behind this one." (下一輛公車隨后就到.)

　　提醒各位, right在英文中常常有“馬上”的意思,例如, "I will be right back."就是我馬上回來的意思.所以如果你去掉right單說"I have another class after this."當(dāng)然也可以,但意思會(huì)變成, “我之后還有課”(也許是下一堂,下二堂有課不一定),但如果是用right after this class則很明確地指出了是“下一堂”.

　　6. Knock it off. I can't stand this anymore.停止吧!我再也不能忍受了.

　　“停止”這個(gè)動(dòng)作在英文中有許多的表示方式,例如最簡(jiǎn)單的stop就是一例,但是除了簡(jiǎn)單的stop之外,老美也喜歡說, "Knock it off."或者是"Cut it out."例如看到兩個(gè)人在打架,你可以趕快說, "Knock it off"或者是"Cut it out."來勸他們快點(diǎn)住手.

　　Knock off這個(gè)片語(yǔ)還有許多其它的用法,像是臺(tái)風(fēng)把高壓線給吹掉了,在這里你就可以說, "The typhoon knocked the power line off."或是上數(shù)學(xué)課時(shí)老師說把x 給消去,這里的消去也可以用knock off喔.造個(gè)句子就是, "If you knock off x in this equation, you will end up with the final solution." (如果你把x 從這個(gè)式子給消去的話,你就會(huì)得到最后的答案.)

　　7. How can we get through this (situation)?我們要如何度過這個(gè)(難關(guān))呢?

　　講到度過某個(gè)困難的時(shí)刻,或許你的直覺反應(yīng)是要用pass或是overcome.但是另外還有一個(gè)你想不太到的說法: get through或是pass through.例如有一次我搭一個(gè)老美的車因超速被警察攔下來,他就很緊張地說, "How can we get through this?" (結(jié)果最后他還是無(wú)助地被警察伯伯開了一張罰張.)或是當(dāng)有人遭逢不幸,我就會(huì)安慰人家說, "No matter what's going to happen, we will get through this hard time together." (不管再來會(huì)發(fā)生什么事,我們都要一起過度難關(guān).)

　　注意一下如果是要講的是你已經(jīng)遭遇過的事情,則過去式got through和完成式have been through同樣好用.例如期末考好不容易結(jié)束了,你可以松口氣說, "I'm so glad I got through finals week." (我很高興終于考完了.)或是"I'm so glad I have been through finals week." (強(qiáng)調(diào)"已經(jīng)"考完了.)

　　8. We have to work this problem out by tomorrow.我們必須在明天之前解決這個(gè)問題.

　　講到work out這個(gè)動(dòng)詞片語(yǔ),它在英文里的用法可是千變?nèi)f化的.首先例如解決問題,老美除了說solve之外,也超愛用work out的,所以解決一個(gè)問題你不但可以說solve a problem,還可以說work a problem out.不過有時(shí)候還要看看上下文的意思,如果我說, "Let's work out some plans for the holiday."這里的work out翻成解決當(dāng)然不太恰當(dāng),所以你可以把它翻成“作出來”.整句的意思就是, “讓我們?yōu)榧倨跀M定一些計(jì)劃”

　　其實(shí)work out不單單可以代表“解決” (solve)的意思,或是“作出來”的意思.它還可以代表“成功”(succeed).例如你寫了一個(gè)程式,但你不知道能不能成功地執(zhí)行,你就可以說, "I don't know if this program is gonna work out." (我不知道這個(gè)程式會(huì)不會(huì)成功.)或是男女朋友交往,但你覺得你們倆個(gè)人不可能有結(jié)果,這句話就是, "I don't feel this relationship is gonna work out."

　　當(dāng)然啦,許多人都知道work out還可以代表運(yùn)動(dòng)(exercise)的意思. (但通常是指在健身房所作的運(yùn)動(dòng)),所以從這里不難看出老美其實(shí)很喜歡用一些很簡(jiǎn)單的單字,例如work out就可以用來替換比較難的solve或是succeed.這也算是美國(guó)口語(yǔ)上的一種趨勢(shì)吧!

　　9. I have to work on your name.我必須練習(xí)(發(fā)出)你的名字.

　　講到這個(gè)趨勢(shì),那我再考考大家知不知道practice (練習(xí))這個(gè)字可以用什么字來代替?想到了沒?答案是用work就可以代替practice喔! (通常work之后會(huì)再加上介系詞on,成為work on something)像是有一個(gè)老美問我叫什么名字,我告訴他我叫"Kun-Lin"結(jié)果他發(fā)了兩次都發(fā)不對(duì),自己就笑了笑說, "Sorry, I have to work on this one"其實(shí)他想說的就是, "Sorry, I have to practice this one." (很抱歉我必須練習(xí)一下.)的意思啦!

　　跟work out一樣, work on用在不同的地方就有不同的意思.像是你去餐廳服務(wù)生要收盤子時(shí)就會(huì)問, "Are you finished or still working on it?" (你吃完了嗎?還是要繼續(xù)用?)所以在這里work on可以當(dāng)“吃”解釋.但是如果你到醫(yī)院去,聽到有人說, "The doctor is still working on his patient." (醫(yī)生還在醫(yī)治他的病人). Work on在這里又成了治療(heal)的意思. (這個(gè)work on在這里如果翻成“吃”就太可怕了吧! ) 但是我想告訴大家,雖然work out和 work on在不同的場(chǎng)合有不同的解釋,但大家不必去死記每一種的解釋,只要看一下上下文,通常他們的意思都很明顯.

　　10. I really need to kick back during the holiday season.我假期時(shí)真的需要好好放松一下.