老外说“find you feet”千万别理解为“找到你的脚”,会闹笑话的!

最近,普特君有个朋友换了一份工作,初到新环境的她,说自己有些不适应。普特君安慰她,换工作都会有这样一个过渡期,过段时间就好了。相信大家也会有类似的经历,那如果你的朋友是个外国人,遇到这种情况,该如何安慰呢?
英语中有个有趣且地道的表达:find your feet
字面看,这个短语的意思是“找到你的脚”,其实在口语中,更多使用的是其引申义:适应环境;站稳脚。
不管大家到一个新的生活、学习或工作环境,都需要去适应一段时间,这个时候可能就要重新调整步伐,慢慢地去独立且自信完成任务。
英文释义:to become able to act independently and with confidence
It will take you a while to find your feet.
别担心。你需要一段时间才能站稳脚跟。
I only recently joined the firm so I'm still finding my feet.
我最近才加入这家公司,所以还在摸索中。
feet是英语中最基础的词汇,但关于“feet”的实用表达有很多,不管是刷美剧还是跟老外交流中,都可能会碰到:
(get/have)cold feet
看到cold feet,大家的第一反应可能是“脚冷”,字面意思确实是这个。但在口语中,这句话想表达的是:因害怕胆怯而临阵退缩,打退堂鼓。
英文释义:to suddenly become nervous about doing something that you had planned to do
He was going to ask her but he got cold feet and said nothing.
他本来想问她的,但临阵退缩了,什么也没说。
have two left feet
从字面看,是说有两只左脚,但根本不存在这样的事情。并且对于大部分的人来说,左脚都没有右脚灵活,假使一个人真有两只左脚,不管是运动还是跳舞,都是极其不方便的。所以“have two left feet”就用来形容一个人“笨手笨脚”。
英文释义:(informal) to be very awkward in your movements, especially when you are dancing or playing a sport
My wife is a good dancer, but I've got two left feet.
我太太舞跳得很好,可是我却笨手笨脚。
drag your feet/heels
字面意思,拖着脚步,引申为:做事情或者决定时拖拖拉拉,迟迟不行动。
英文释义:to be deliberately slow in doing something or in making a decision
Stop dragging your feet! The movie will be on in 10 minutes.
不要再拖拖拉拉,电影10分钟后就开始了!
be rushed/run off your feet
这个短语比较有趣,从字面看,是说“把脚跑掉了”,其实跟中文里面的“跑断腿”有异曲同工之妙,用来形容“忙得不可开交”。
英文释义:to be extremely busy; to have too many things to do
Weekdays are slow in the restaurant, but at weekends the staff are rushed off their feet.
这家餐馆平日生意清淡,一旦到周末,员工们就忙得不可开交。
have/keep your feet on the ground
用来表达“要脚踏实地”
英文释义:to have a sensible and realistic attitude to life
In spite of his overnight stardom he still manages to keep his feet on the ground.
尽管他一夜成名,但他仍能脚踏实地。
put your feet up
它的意思是“放松;休息一下”
英文释义:to sit down and relax, especially with your feet raised and supported
After a hard day's work, it's nice to get home and put your feet up.
辛苦工作了一天,回到家休息一下真好。
除了“feet”,英语中还有很多跟其他身体部位相关的表达地道且实用,跟普特君盘点一下:
Get in someone's hair
从字面意思理解,“钻到某人的头发里”,实际上就指的是“惹烦某人;激怒某人”。
Susan was trying to prepare dinner, but her children were getting in her hair!'
Susan的孩子们在她做饭的时候烦她。
当然,如果有人烦扰到了你,你就可以说,'Get out of my hair!'
Let one's hair down
来源:17世纪,西方女子多留长发,她们习惯白天把头发盘起来,晚上回到家把头发放下来,舒舒服服发的披在肩上,放下头发这种行为便叫做let one's hair down。由于它体现了一种回到家不再用顾及形象的放松姿态,顺理成章地引申为“解除表面装饰,卸下包袱,彻底放松;不拘礼节”。
虽然这个短语来源于女性放下头发的典故,但在使用的时候没有性别限制哦。
Let your hair down and just take it as a chat.
放轻松一些,就当是聊天好了。
All ears
洗耳恭听;全神贯注地听
She was all ears in class.
她全神贯注地听课。
Sweet tooth
爱吃甜食,喜好甜食
Add more honey if you have a sweet tooth.
如果你喜欢吃甜的就多加点蜂蜜。
A pain in the neck   
很常见的俚语表达,美国人经常挂在嘴边,指的是“苦事,惹人讨厌的人或事”。
He is a real pain in the neck.
那个人真讨厌。
Cold shoulder
冷漠对待,轻视;碰一鼻子灰
But when Gough looked to Haig for support, he was given the cold shoulder.
但是当高夫指望能得到黑格的支持时,却遭到了冷遇。
Old hand
老手;有经验者,熟练的人
An old hand at photography, Tim has been shooting wildlife as a hobby for the last 13 years.
蒂姆摄影经验丰富,在过去13年里一直以拍摄野生生物为业余爱好。
Turn one's back on sb
不理睬某人;抛弃,背弃
How can we turn our backs on people who have no homes, no jobs, no hope?
我们怎么能够对那些无家可归的人们置之不理呢?
Pull someone's leg
看字面,很多同学都容易把这个短语的意思理解为“拖某人后退”,实际上它的意思是“愚弄某人、开某人的玩笑或哄骗某人的钱”。
Do not pull my leg.
别开我的玩笑了。
Break a leg
最后一个短语也比较有意思,很多人容易望文生义理解为“打断腿;摔断腿”,但其实这个短语是褒义的,指的是“祝好运”,相当于“good luck.”
今天分享的表达就这么多啦,大家还有哪些相关补充,欢迎留言分享~
本文由普特英语整理编辑
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