lecture6Idioms

Chapter 6 English Idioms•important and interesting part•all styles: informal and formal, spoken and written•Understand the idioms: see it in context •drive/send sb. round the bend: to make someone very bored无聊的；无趣的；烦人的or very angryDefinition•An idiom is an element of a language that possesses a special way of expression based on its time-honored 历史悠久的；因古老而受到尊重的use.•In other words, an idiom is a fixed group of words or a single word, or even a sentence, with a special meaning that cannot be guessed from its structure. •That is to say, the meaning of an idiom must be learned as a whole.• A simple difinition of the idiom would be the use of common words in a special sense.•spill the beans泄密；说漏嘴•In English Idioms and How to Use Them J.Seidle et al point out that idioms "are not a separate part of the language which one can choose either to use or to omit, but they form an essential part of the general vocabulary of the language."•Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate[kə'li:dʒiit] Dictionary (Eleventh Edition), published in 2003, gives fourdefinitions of the term “idiom”.•The first sense of the word idiom is “the language peculiar to a people or to a district, community, or class: DIALECT.”The second sense is “the syntactical,grammatical, or structural form peculiar to a language.”The third sense is “an expression in the usage of alanguage that is peculiar to itself either grammatically (as no, it wasn’t me) or having a meaning that cannot be derived from the conjoined meanings of its elements (as Monday week for “the Monday a week after nextMonday”).”The fourth sense is “a style or form of artistic expression that is characteristic of an individual, a period of movement, or a medium or instrument <themodern jazz idiom>; broadly: MANNER, STYLE (a new culinary idiom).”•Significance of idioms(points)•The English language is a flexible l anguage, so it is very rich in idiomatic[,idiə'mætik] 惯用的；符合语言习惯的expressions.• 1. The general tendenies of present-day English are todards more idiomatic usages. Therefore English idioms form an essential part of the general vocabulary.• 2. Many hundreds of idioms are now accepted not only in spoken English but also in written English. They can appear in a colloquial style, or in a formal style, or even in slang.•3.The correct use of idiomatic English may be one of the main aims for non-native learners, because leaning and using idioms is the best way to master the language, which will help one to improve one's English.•In this book <A Book of English Idioms> V. H.Collins States," In standand spoken and written English, today idiom is an established固定下来的, universal and essential element that , used with care and ornaments and enriches the language."•6-1-4 The features of English idioms •(generally)peculiar in grammatical structure, meaning and usage •(specifically)Nine items of features•1. English idioms can be very short or rather long.•2. English idioms take different structures •3. An English idioms has a special meaning•4. English idioms are not only used as colloquial expressions, they can also be found in formal situations, in poetry or fiction, or in slang. Many idioms can be used in any situation.•6. Some idioms consist of obsolete words.•7. English idioms represent a semantic unit, though they contain a group of words.•8. English idioms are usually made of commonly-used words. They are vivid in usage, brief in structure and profound in meaning.•9. English idioms are often created on the basis of alliteration, rhyme, euphony and repetition.•euphony 报错英['juːf(ə)nɪ] 美['jʊfəni]•n. 悦耳之音；悦耳；和谐的声音;谐音•English idioms in different styles•General rule: most are used in colloquial situation, but quite a number of idioms can be found in any situation, some in formal style, or slang.•1. Idioms uesd in colloquial style•2. Idioms used in any situation•3. Idioms used in formal situation•4. Idioms used as slang•You're like an Indian summer你像狂热的夏日•forty winks 白天小睡；打盹•You sent me howling into the wind. I’m lucky to be all in one piece.你让我独自一人在风中咆哮，我能全身而返，已经是大幸了。

•All good things come to an end.天下无不散的宴席•like a bear with a sore head v. 暴躁；心情恶劣•cut one's coat according to one's cloth•量布裁衣，量入为出，根据具体条件行事•6-2-1Classifications of English Idioms •1. Idiomatic expressions with specific grammatical structure•2. Phrases identified with the familiar parts of speech•3. Idioms not correlative[kɔ'relətiv] with a given grammatical part of speech•4. Idioms expressing greeting, surprise, praise or criticism•5. Proverbs•量体裁衣•act according to actual circumstances •cut the dress according to one's figure •cut out garments to fit the body•diamond cut diamond adv. 棋逢对手•The devil takes the hindmost：迟者遭殃；落后者吃亏•have a bee in one's bonnet[软帽]胡思乱想；想得入迷；有某种想法•through thick and thin不畏艰险；在任何情况下•stitch [stitʃ] n. 针脚，一针vt. 缝，缝合• a stitch in time saves nine小洞不补，大洞吃苦•come to a bad end 遭遇不测；死于非命；没有好下场•nasty [['nɑ:sti, 'næs-]] adj. 下流的；肮脏的；脾气不好的；险恶的•sticky [俚语]不愉快的，痛苦的•come to a sticky end 报错下场不好；死于非命•come to an untimely end 夭折•untimely [,ʌn'taimli] adj. 不合时宜的；过早的•Take forty winks：打个盹•rain cats and dogs下倾盆大雨•for the sake of为了；为了…的利益•hither and thither 到处•hue and cry大声抗议；叫嚣声；追捕犯人时的叫喊声hue [hju:] n. 色彩；色度；叫声•kith and kin朋友和亲属kith [kiθ] n. 朋友；邻居•kin [kin] n. 亲戚；家族；同族•adj. 同类的；有亲属关系的；性质类似的•to and fro来回地fro [frəu] adv. 向后；向那边•be hoist with one's own petard搬起石头砸自己的脚；害人反害己；作茧自缚•hoist [hɔist] n. 起重机；升起，吊起vi. 升起；吊起vt. （用绳索，起重机等）使升起•petard [pɪ'tɑːd] n. 爆竹，花火；爆炸装置•learn by rote死记硬背地学习rote 报错英[rəʊt] 美[rot]n. 死记硬背；生搬硬套•with might and main尽全力；竭尽全力地•once in a blue moon 千载难逢；极为罕见•come true 实现，成真；成为现实•cry for the moon 要天上的月亮；想做做不到的事；想要得不到的东西•fly high有雄心大志；情绪高涨；野心勃勃•put the cart before the horse 本末倒置；前后颠倒•turn up one's nose at 报错对…嗤之以鼻；看不起•black and blue['blækən'blu:] adj. 遍体鳞伤的；青一块紫一块•first and foremost 首先；首要的是•Time and tide wait for no man 岁月不饶人•buy in bulk 大量购买•bulk [bʌlk] n. 体积，容量；大多数，大部分；大块vt. 使扩大，使形成大量•dine and wine 吃喝（以饮宴款待）•out and about：户外活动•rough and tough 粗野的，粗暴的•rough [rʌf] adj. 粗糙的；粗略的；粗野的；艰苦的；未经加工的•tough adj. 艰苦的，困难的；坚强的，不屈不挠的vt. 坚持；忍受，忍耐•wear and tear n. 磨损•euphonic [juː'fɒnɪk] adj. 悦耳的，语调好的；音调上的•euphony ['ju:fəni] n. 悦耳之音；悦耳；和谐的声音•Beggars can not be choosers （乞丐是没有选择权利的）•a cat may look at king 小人物也有权利•first come，first served 先到先得；先到者先接受服务原则•be up and doing 活跃;忙碌•end•serve someone right给某人应得的惩罚•get off with结识•First you must clean your room. No buts about it.首先你必须打扫你的房间，不要找任何借口。