習慣用語：jump through hoops & jump out of one's skin（音頻文字）VOA (ZT)
今天要講的習慣用語共有這樣一個關鍵詞 ：jump。 大家都熟悉jump這個詞。它是跳躍的意思。你有沒有看過馬戲團裏訓練有素的小狗聽到馴狗師一聲令下立即跳躍穿過鐵環呢？這就是今天要學的第一個習慣用語的出典。這個習慣用語是：jump through a hoop。
Hoop是鐵環或者任何圓環狀的東西。所以這個習慣用語要是直譯就是跳躍穿過鐵環。看過馬戲團小狗表演的人一定知道乖巧機敏的小狗對馴狗師的命令反應快速而且百般服從，但是習慣用語jump through a hoop卻不是用來說小狗而是說人了。說什麽樣的人呢？我們聽個例子來領會吧。說話的人是在描述自己辦公室的同事Bill:
例句-1：Bill has heard the rumors that we have to cut our staff. He has a wife and six kids and he's scared to death, so he'll jump through a hoop for the boss every chance he gets.
他說： Bill聽到傳聞說他們得裁員，這消息把他嚇得半死，因為他有妻子和六個孩子，要是他失業這一大家子的人可怎麽得了。
可想而知，眼下Bill對掌握生殺大權的上司一定是俯首帖耳、唯命是從，隻要有機會為他赴湯蹈火也在所不辭。生怕老板一不樂意斷了他全家的生計。所以這段話裏的jump through a hoop這個習慣用語的意思是對能控製自己命運的人俯首帖耳、甘願赴湯蹈火。
******
處於Bill那樣的境地是迫於無奈而不得不jump through a hoop有時jump through a hoop帶有懦弱屈從的意思，但是人們也會由於其它原因，比方說出於愛情而jump through hoops。下麵就有這樣一個例子。注意：我們也可以說： jump through hoops，意思不變。
例句-2：You can tell that my brother Joe is crazy about Sally. She has the poor guy jumping through hoops for her - I never thought he'd ever fall that hard for anybody.
他說：你能看出我兄弟Joe對Sally可真是一往情深Sally使得這可憐的家夥團團轉唯命是從；我從沒料到Joe會這麽深深地迷上一個人的。
這裏的jumping through hoops意思也是俯首帖耳、百般討好。
******
Jump through hoops是一種滋味，而下麵這個習慣用語則是另外一番味道： jump out of your skin。 Skin是皮膚，當然誰也不可能跳出自己的皮膚，隻是美國人有時愛說這種誇張的話，以示幽默。當你說 一個人jump out of one's skin, 那可能有兩種意思：也許是表示他極度驚訝，也可能是說他給嚇得魂不附體了。我們聽兩個例子想一想裏麵的jump out of one's skin各表示什麽意思。
例句-3：When I answered the door and saw my brother standing there, I almost jumped out of my skin. We hadn't heard from him since he went off to war ten years ago and we thought he was dead.
他說：我開門看到我的兄弟就站在眼前，簡直大吃一驚，自從他十年前上前線打仗以來，我們再也沒有他的音訊。我以為他已經犧牲了。
他兄弟十年來音訊渺然，他們原以為他已經不在人世了，如今卻突然出現在他門口，當然使他驚訝極了，所以這段話裏的jumped out of my skin是讓我大吃一驚的意思。
******
我們再聽個例子，裏麵也用上了jump out of one's skin這個習慣用語。說話的人剛經受了一次巨大的驚嚇。他打高爾夫球的時候突然下起雨來了，於是他急忙奔到一棵大樹下躲雨，那可差點兒鑄成致命的大錯。我們聽聽是怎麽回事：
例句-4：There was a flash and a loud bang and I jumped out of my skin - a bolt of lightning had hit the tree! It split the tree in two. but I was darn lucky - I was scared to death, but okay.
他說：猛然有一道閃光和一聲巨響，把我嚇得魂不附體。原來閃電擊中了這棵樹！把大樹一劈為二，而我真是走運極了，盡管嚇得要命，卻安然無恙。
這段話裏的習慣用語jumped out of my skin意思顯然是嚇得魂不附體。
Words and Phrases
1. Jump through a hoop
這個習慣用語的意思是對能控製自己命運的人俯首帖耳、甘願赴湯蹈火。
例句：Bill has heard the rumors that we have to cut our staff. He has a wife and six kids and he's scared to death, so he'll jump through a hoop for the boss every chance he gets.
2. jump out of your skin
意思顯然是嚇得魂不附體。
例句：There was a flash and a loud bang and I jumped out of my skin - a bolt of lightning had hit the tree! It split the tree in two. but I was darn lucky - I was scared to death, but okay.
Audio download link:
http://www.freexinwen.com/chinese/soundwi/2010/wi512.asx
