前不久密集訪談一家科技公司的高階主管,這些主管的英文半數以上可以用「very good」來形容了。既然已經很好了,為什麼還要學英文?我們的經驗是,越是英文好的人,越覺得自己不夠。問題是怎麼學?
文/世界公民文化中心
假如英文已經到流利階段,可以試著用一些「連老外聽了眼睛都會一亮的英文」。成語、俚語、習慣用法,都是西方文化內涵的具體表現,它們會讓人眼睛一亮。例如,會議前你忙得不可開交,部屬卻站在那裡發呆,你說”Don't stand about doing nothing-make yourself useful!(別呆站在那,做點有用的事!)是不粗魯的駡人。
今天戒掉爛英文一起來讀一些有意思的俚語!
Alone on the streets you don’ t stand a chance.
"stand a chance" 有成功的機會。
例句:He stands a good chance of getting that job. He is very qualified.(他很有機會得到這個工作,因為他很有資格。)
I'm feeling a little left out.
"left out" 被冷落了。
例句:I felt left out when my friends forgot to invite me to the party.(他們聚會沒請我,我覺得自己被冷落了。)
Well, you got me.
難倒我了。
例句:Well, Mr. Everman, you've really got me there.(艾佛曼先生,你真的考倒我了!)
I'm sharp.
"sharp" 注意力很集中,腦袋很靈光。
例句:You need to be sharp when you negotiate.(你談判的時候你可要注意力集中啊。)
a number of them were riding out
"ride out" 忍受;等...過去。
例句:We are going to have to ride out this rain at the office.(我們不得不在辦公室等到雨停。)
例句:Bob was determined to become a CEO, even if he had to ride out a few years in lower positions at the company.(Bob決心成為CEO,所以他得在公司基層職位熬上幾年。)
Are you still trying to pull something on me?
"pull sth on sb " 蒙,欺騙。
例句:I caught them trying to pull something on me in the meeting.(他們騙我的事讓我在會議上當場逮到。)
You can just push around.
"push around " 把…呼來喚去,欺侮,擺佈。
如果有人指揮你一下做這個一下作那個,你就可以用這一句:Hey! Don't push me around.(別對我呼來喚去的。)
The two are pretty much the same.
"pretty much" 幾乎。
例句:The result of the ballot is pretty much what we expected.(投票的結果和我們預料的差不多。)
例句:I deserve pretty much what I've got.(我到這步田地完全是咎由自取。)
【世界公民文化中心】是一所兩年制英語學院,以獨有的一對一教學,幫助企業人士善用英語整合能力,達成個人和企業國際化的目標,為高科技與跨國公司仰賴的商務英語學習機構。