生活環(huán)境的不同，文化上的差異決定了我們語(yǔ)言上的差異。學(xué)英文時(shí)經(jīng)常按中文思路，直接翻譯每個(gè)單詞的意思。實(shí)際上，這是錯(cuò)誤的英文學(xué)習(xí)方式，今天來(lái)說(shuō)幾個(gè)非常簡(jiǎn)單，但你不一定都能答對(duì)的實(shí)用表達(dá)，馬上來(lái)看！

A word

A word中“Word”是“詞、字”沒(méi)錯(cuò)，但是連起來(lái)“A word”就不是“一個(gè)單詞”。

“A word”是“私下里溝通，悄悄話，也可指商談，談話”的意思。

舉個(gè)例子：

Can I have a word with you？

可以借一步說(shuō)話嗎？

I don't think she's interested but I'll have a word with her.

我想她不會(huì)感興趣，但是我會(huì)和她聊聊的。

- Tom, can I have a word with you? It won't take long.

- Sure. I'll be with you in a minute.

-湯姆，我能和你說(shuō)句話嗎？不會(huì)占用你太多時(shí)間。

-好的，我一會(huì)兒過(guò)來(lái)。

Have words

Have words難道是“有話說(shuō)”？如果你這么理解，那就錯(cuò)了。

Have words是“拌嘴，爭(zhēng)論，吵架”的意思。

舉個(gè)例子：

Parents had words last night.

爸媽昨晚吵架了。

In a word

漢語(yǔ)中，我們經(jīng)常說(shuō)一句話“總而言之、言而總之”是不是“To make a long story short”呢？

“總之、總而言之”是“In a word”或者“All in all”的意思。

舉個(gè)例子：

In a word, they can do everything they like with, money.

總之，他們用金錢能做到他們喜歡做的一切。

In a word, I am tired of everything.

總之，我對(duì)一切都很煩。

Eat one's word

Eat one's word并不是真的把文字吃下去，不是“食言”！

以前聽(tīng)過(guò)一個(gè)小笑話：兒子的債主拿著欠條找上門時(shí)，父母把欠條當(dāng)面包一樣吃了！

在這里“Eat one's word”，不是吃文字，是指“收回前言，承認(rèn)自己說(shuō)錯(cuò)了話”！

舉個(gè)例子：

What he said proved wrong, so he had to eat his words.

事實(shí)證明他說(shuō)錯(cuò)了，所以他只好收回前言。

I never thought Clare could handle this job, but I have to eat my words now.

我一直以為Clare無(wú)法勝任這份工作，看來(lái)我錯(cuò)了。

What's the good word?

What's the good word?并不是“有什么好話”！

What's the good word?等同于How are you，是一種更加地道的美式口語(yǔ)！

舉個(gè)例子：

Haven't seen you for a long time.

What's the good word?

好久不見(jiàn),你近來(lái)好嗎？

From the word go

From the word go不是“從這個(gè)單詞走”，如果你這么理解，那真的會(huì)鬧笑話的！

“From the word go”是指“始終，從一開(kāi)始；完全，徹底”的意思！

舉個(gè)例子：

Again, your readers will have to buy my book for the whole story, but there is no question that Dumbledore took an unnatural interest in Potter from the word go.

讀者也需要購(gòu)買我的書(shū)才能知道全部故事，但是毫無(wú)疑問(wèn)，鄧布利多從一開(kāi)始就對(duì)波特有一種不正常的興趣。

Yes, it was love from the word go.

是的，我們從一開(kāi)始就互相愛(ài)上了。

by word of mouth

嘴巴里的詞?好像沒(méi)有這種說(shuō)法。

但是你要仔細(xì)想想，這也沒(méi)錯(cuò)，因?yàn)閎y word of mouth就是通過(guò)口頭來(lái)傳播。也就是一個(gè)消息經(jīng)過(guò)一傳十，十傳百以后，許許多多人都知道了這件事。

舉個(gè)例子：

I think the best form of advertising is by word of mouth. People don't believe a lot of what they hear or see in paid-for advertisements, but when they hear a recommendation directly from a friend, they are far more likely to act on it.

我認(rèn)為最好的廣告方式是口口相傳。人們不太相信他們聽(tīng)到的或看到的那種付錢做的廣告。當(dāng)他們直接從朋友那兒聽(tīng)到推薦，他們就很可能會(huì)采納。

（來(lái)源：英語(yǔ)四六級(jí)備考）