英语常用口头禅(三)

15. He carries a torch for her. 这多半是指一厢情愿的爱或是自我多情的男女间感情。 (one-way love) （不过在  torch 後面要有  
「 for someone 」 ) 如果他的女友遗弃他，但他仍然还爱她，就可以说：  

He still carries a torch for his ex-girlfriend. 她仍然在爱她的前夫  
She still carries a torch for her ex-husband. 说白些，就是：  
Although she does not love him any more, he still carries a torch for her. 或  
He carried a torch for that pretty woman, but all in vain. ( 他一厢情愿的爱那美女，但一切均徒然。 )

但是只有「 carry a torch 」，也可表示高擎火炬或圣火：  

When the Olympic Game began, he carried the torch into the stadium. ( 当奥运会开始时，他高举圣火进入体育场。 ) ( 因  
为圣火是奥会唯一的火把，故用定冠词  the 。 )
During the evening picnic, I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs. （傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。）  
16.
What are you up to ？  这是平时最常用的一句口语，意思是：「有什麽事吗？」「进展如何？」一般只用在同辈的朋友  
或同事。其他类似的口语，还有：  
What's going on ？； What's up ？； What's cooking ？； What's happening ？  ( 用在非正式场合，而且是朋友或同辈 ) 这些口  
头语，有时也变为「打招呼」或「问好」的味道。有点像：  

How do you do ？ ( 用在初次见面 ) ( 较正式 )
How are you ？ ( 用在见过面的朋友 ) ( 较正式 )

当然动词和人称代名词，也可改变：  

What is he (she) up to? What are they up to ？  
17.
I am with you. 这句口语通常有两个意思：一是「我同意你的意见」 (=I agree with you. ）一是指真正「我与你在一起」 (=
Physically I am with you. ）这要看当时对方怎麽说。不过在写作时，後面需要一句  modifier ( 修饰语 ) ，以免意思不清楚。  
例如说：  

I am with you on this issue. （我同意你对这问题的看法。）  
We are with you what you said at the meeting. ( 我们同意你在开会时所说的。 )
( “ on this issue ” , “ what you said at the meeting ”都是  modifier)

但是如果说：  

I was with you when she entered my room. ( 她走进我房间时，你与我在一起。 )
They were not with us while the accident occurred. ( 事故发生时，他们和我们不在一起。 )

可见要看上、下文，才能知道句子的真正意思。  

「 I am with you. 」里的主词 I 及受词  you ，可用其他的人称代名词；动词  am ，也可用其他时态。  
18.
It's the thought that counts. 这是平时常说的一句口语，意思是：礼物是否贵重，倒不重要，真正重要的是心意。也就是  
真诚的心意才算数。 ( 通常主词只用单数  it ，表示一种心意 ) 所以我们可以说：  

The value of the gift is unimportant; it is the thought that counts. ( 礼物的价值不重要；心意才是最重要的。 )

或者说：  
Don't judge your friend's gift by value;it is the thought that counts. ( 不要以价值去评估朋友的礼物；心意最重要。 )
19.
We raise the bar. 意思是提高任何事物的水平  (to upgrade any kind of standard) 我们可以说：  

He is encouraged that many colleges will raise the bar for their admissions. ( 他对许多大学提高入学水平，甚感鼓舞。 )
China is trying to raise the bar for its military power. ( 中国正在提高其军事力量 )
The good teacher can raise the bar for his or her students. ( 好教师能提高学生的水平 )
20.
Cry me a river. 这是一句流行的口头语，意思是别人对你埋怨某人或某事时，你不想听，也不在乎。 (a person who
complains about someone or something will not get sympathy ) 也就是 ignore one's complaint. （即使眼泪流得像水和河那样，  
又有什麽用呢！ ) ( 表示埋怨进行著 )

如果说：  

When he complained about his boss, I responded to him, “  cry me a river. ” ( 当他埋怨他的老板时，我回答说：「埋怨  
有啥用呢！」 )
His wife said to him, “ cry me a river ”  when he complained about his job constantly. ( 当他常常埋怨工作时，他太太说：  
「别再埋怨了，我才不听呢！」 )

也有人用  don't cry me a river ，意思就是说，不要开始埋怨，我不想听。 (Don't start complaining; I am not going to listen.) ( 表  
示埋怨还没有开始 )
21.
What is her calling card ？ calling card 是指  attraction ，这是通常对女人而言，也就是说：她吸引人的原因何在？为什麽许  
多男人喜欢她？ (Why so many men like her ？  Why you feel she is attractive ？ ) 虽然多半用在第三人称，但，也可以说：  

What is your calling card ？ ( 你有什麽优点，值得人家喜欢你？ )
This is my calling card. ( 这就是我的专长 )
= This is something I am good at it.

有时也可用在否定句：  

Mrs. A has no calling card because of her unfriendliness. ( 由於 A 小姐不友善，所以她没有令人喜欢的地方。 )
She has no calling card in her life. ( 她一生平平凡凡，毫不出色。 )
( 注：这句口语虽然多半用在女人圈里，但也有男人使用。 )