滿眼風光
古今中外事，都付笑談中。
正文
有beat一詞的英文用法和諺語還有很多，幹脆再多來幾條:
1. beat about the bush or beat around the bush -- 在這兒，around the bush和about the bush是一個意思: 灌木草叢的周邊外圍。字麵意思是"圍著灌木草叢亂砍瞎打，就是不打到灌木叢上去"，究竟是意思? 這句有點像中國話"敲鼓敲不到點子上"、"說話說不要點上" -- (應表達能力差而)詞不達意，甚至是故意的"環顧左右而言它"。英文的解釋是"fail or (intentionally) avoid to come to the point in conversation。如此說來，Don't beat around the bush可以翻譯成"別廢話"! 如果當年與八路交戰的是美軍而不是日本兵，美軍抓住老百姓可能就會這樣逼供: Don't beat around the bush. Just tell us where 土八路 is!
再看兩個例句: (1) 如果某學生沒好好準備考試，但在考卷上又不得不寫點什麽以求僥幸得些分，那他多半是 beat around the bush and never really answer the question. (2) 你出了個主意，自我感覺不錯，但朋友們覺得不怎麽樣。討論時他們為不讓你難堪，就用好話唐塞。你知道後火了就對他們說: Can you guys just quit beating around the bush and tell me what you really think about my idea?
2. beat a retreat -- retreat 有撤退或敗退之意。戰時敗陣的一方，潰退時速度決定性命能否逃脫，就像以前常說的: 國軍遇到共軍時，隻恨爹媽少生兩條腿。這裏的retreat好比是國民黨逃跑的速度，那beat a retreat所描述的速度比國軍逃跑的速度還快。在中文裏有這樣的說法: 某人一見事情不妙，就跑得比兔子還快。這"跑得比兔子還快"正是"beat a retreat"。例句: When the burglars saw the police arriving they beat a hasty retreat. = 當那些撬門溜鎖的看到警車到來，跑得比兔子還快。
3. beat one's brains out -- 把腦漿子都打出來? 這是專用來形容暴力的嗎? 也對也不對。它有三種用法，第一就是指暴力傷人: He was afraid that the guy was going to come back and beat his brains out. = 他怕那家夥會回來打他個半死。第二，非暴力的beat one's brains out近似於中國話"責罵": This candidate has no chance to win this local election, with so many guys on the TV beating his brains out everyday. = 這次地方選舉有那麽多人在電視裏罵他，這位侯選人不可能贏。第三，遇到難題時用這句，等同與中國話"絞盡腦汁"或"苦思冥想": He's been beating his brains out trying to make his girl-friend happy = 他苦思冥想要讓他女朋友高興。第三種用法裏，beat one's brains out經常後跟doing something。注意，這裏的"腦漿"一定要用複數。
4. beat the drum -- 中國有擊鼓鳴冤一說，古戲裏常有，有冤情者一通鼓把縣老爺擊出來升堂辦案。英美人士也擊鼓，擊鼓也是為引人注意，但不是為鳴冤，而是為一些重大的meritorious and/or significant matters。比方說: The president said he will beat the drum to build public support for his education program 。所以，這beat the drum有點像"為某事(比如對社會有益的某項政策)鼓動造勢"的意思。
5. beat the rap -- 這個rap可不是rap music中的rap! 是因錯而來的責備和懲戒。如果某人幹了壞事又能逃避懲罰，那他就是beat the rap了。美國的O. J. 曾是殺人嫌疑犯，但有人認為他用高價雇來好律師，最終逃脫了懲罰: People think that he had enough money and high-priced lawyers and so he was able to beat the rap. 再有，中國有些"人民公仆"常年多行不義，貪贓枉法。最終被揪時人們可以說: There's no way he can beat the rap any more. No one can save him now.
6. beat a dead horse -- 馬都死了還抽打它幹什麽! 如有人這麽幹，那一定是在浪費時間。 例句1: Considering my article being denied so many times, I really think I'll be just beating a dead horse if I try to send it to any other publishers (except Wenxuecity). -- 考慮到我這篇文章已被拒這麽多次，我真的認為再給其他出版商送稿是浪費時間(除了"文學城") 。例句2: I hate to beat a dead horse, but people in
7. beat a path to someone's door = 某人因某事造成轟動，使人們都想來一見尊容。例句1: If you put this low price in tomorrow's newspaper, I guarantee that you will have half the town beating your path to your door. = 如果你把降價的廣告明天登報，那一準半個城市的人都來你店裏。例句2: If you hit the lottery jackpot, the press will definitely beat a path to your door the next day. = 如果你中彩票頭獎，那第二天記者一定會為來你家找你打破頭。
8. beat someone at (some)one's own game -- 這意思接近於"你畫出道道、你定(遊戲)規則，我照樣打敗你"，也有點中國"以其人之道，還治其人之身"的味道。例句1: The new store reduced the price and started to give me a lot of pressure. However, I knew that if I matched its discount, I would be able to keep all my customers and beat this new competitor at its own game. = 新開張的這家店用低價給我很多壓力。不過，我知道我隻要跟著降價，就能留住我的顧客，並用這位競爭者自己的方式來打敗它。例句2: He was the world champion and I was fully aware of his infamous physicality in his game, but I prepared myself enough and finally beat him in his own game. = 他是世界冠軍，我也深知他比賽中那臭名昭著的野蠻，但我作了充分的準備並最後以他的方式戰勝了他(也用了野蠻殘酷的方式)。
9. beat someone hands down -- 不用手就能戰勝對手，說明勝者太強，這勝利也來得太容易。 Yesterday I played tennis with him and he beat me hands down. He is too good for me. -- 昨天我跟他打了網球，他贏我太輕鬆了。我不是他的對手。
10. beat the shit out of someone -- 意思是把人打個半死，但這是句髒話。"把人嚴重打傷"可以說"beat someone severely"。 shit是什麽? 就是excrement，存在於人的腸子裏麵。你要是把人的excrement都打出來了，還不得把人打死! 中國也有人會說這樣的髒話: 我把你屎都打出來你信不信! 這句中文的英文翻譯就是I'll beat the shit out of you! 英文還有一句意思相同的髒話: beat the hell out of someone。學語言嗎，好話髒話都需要學點，髒話不提倡說，但也無法避免。打人更是要製止。
一個簡單的打字，引出我這麽一長篇廢話。Hope I was not beating around the bush too much。這又打人又罵人的，別怪我，實在是英文有關 beat 的表達又多又精彩。
(完)
1. beat about the bush or beat around the bush -- 在這兒，around the bush和about the bush是一個意思: 灌木草叢的周邊外圍。字麵意思是"圍著灌木草叢亂砍瞎打，就是不打到灌木叢上去"，究竟是意思? 這句有點像中國話"敲鼓敲不到點子上"、"說話說不要點上" -- (應表達能力差而)詞不達意，甚至是故意的"環顧左右而言它"。英文的解釋是"fail or (intentionally) avoid to come to the point in conversation。如此說來，Don't beat around the bush可以翻譯成"別廢話"! 如果當年與八路交戰的是美軍而不是日本兵，美軍抓住老百姓可能就會這樣逼供: Don't beat around the bush. Just tell us where 土八路 is!
再看兩個例句: (1) 如果某學生沒好好準備考試，但在考卷上又不得不寫點什麽以求僥幸得些分，那他多半是 beat around the bush and never really answer the question. (2) 你出了個主意，自我感覺不錯，但朋友們覺得不怎麽樣。討論時他們為不讓你難堪，就用好話唐塞。你知道後火了就對他們說: Can you guys just quit beating around the bush and tell me what you really think about my idea?
2. beat a retreat -- retreat 有撤退或敗退之意。戰時敗陣的一方，潰退時速度決定性命能否逃脫，就像以前常說的: 國軍遇到共軍時，隻恨爹媽少生兩條腿。這裏的retreat好比是國民黨逃跑的速度，那beat a retreat所描述的速度比國軍逃跑的速度還快。在中文裏有這樣的說法: 某人一見事情不妙，就跑得比兔子還快。這"跑得比兔子還快"正是"beat a retreat"。例句: When the burglars saw the police arriving they beat a hasty retreat. = 當那些撬門溜鎖的看到警車到來，跑得比兔子還快。
3. beat one's brains out -- 把腦漿子都打出來? 這是專用來形容暴力的嗎? 也對也不對。它有三種用法，第一就是指暴力傷人: He was afraid that the guy was going to come back and beat his brains out. = 他怕那家夥會回來打他個半死。第二，非暴力的beat one's brains out近似於中國話"責罵": This candidate has no chance to win this local election, with so many guys on the TV beating his brains out everyday. = 這次地方選舉有那麽多人在電視裏罵他，這位侯選人不可能贏。第三，遇到難題時用這句，等同與中國話"絞盡腦汁"或"苦思冥想": He's been beating his brains out trying to make his girl-friend happy = 他苦思冥想要讓他女朋友高興。第三種用法裏，beat one's brains out經常後跟doing something。注意，這裏的"腦漿"一定要用複數。
4. beat the drum -- 中國有擊鼓鳴冤一說，古戲裏常有，有冤情者一通鼓把縣老爺擊出來升堂辦案。英美人士也擊鼓，擊鼓也是為引人注意，但不是為鳴冤，而是為一些重大的meritorious and/or significant matters。比方說: The president said he will beat the drum to build public support for his education program 。所以，這beat the drum有點像"為某事(比如對社會有益的某項政策)鼓動造勢"的意思。
5. beat the rap -- 這個rap可不是rap music中的rap! 是因錯而來的責備和懲戒。如果某人幹了壞事又能逃避懲罰，那他就是beat the rap了。美國的O. J. 曾是殺人嫌疑犯，但有人認為他用高價雇來好律師，最終逃脫了懲罰: People think that he had enough money and high-priced lawyers and so he was able to beat the rap. 再有，中國有些"人民公仆"常年多行不義，貪贓枉法。最終被揪時人們可以說: There's no way he can beat the rap any more. No one can save him now.
6. beat a dead horse -- 馬都死了還抽打它幹什麽! 如有人這麽幹，那一定是在浪費時間。 例句1: Considering my article being denied so many times, I really think I'll be just beating a dead horse if I try to send it to any other publishers (except Wenxuecity). -- 考慮到我這篇文章已被拒這麽多次，我真的認為再給其他出版商送稿是浪費時間(除了"文學城") 。例句2: I hate to beat a dead horse, but people in
7. beat a path to someone's door = 某人因某事造成轟動，使人們都想來一見尊容。例句1: If you put this low price in tomorrow's newspaper, I guarantee that you will have half the town beating your path to your door. = 如果你把降價的廣告明天登報，那一準半個城市的人都來你店裏。例句2: If you hit the lottery jackpot, the press will definitely beat a path to your door the next day. = 如果你中彩票頭獎，那第二天記者一定會為來你家找你打破頭。
8. beat someone at (some)one's own game -- 這意思接近於"你畫出道道、你定(遊戲)規則，我照樣打敗你"，也有點中國"以其人之道，還治其人之身"的味道。例句1: The new store reduced the price and started to give me a lot of pressure. However, I knew that if I matched its discount, I would be able to keep all my customers and beat this new competitor at its own game. = 新開張的這家店用低價給我很多壓力。不過，我知道我隻要跟著降價，就能留住我的顧客，並用這位競爭者自己的方式來打敗它。例句2: He was the world champion and I was fully aware of his infamous physicality in his game, but I prepared myself enough and finally beat him in his own game. = 他是世界冠軍，我也深知他比賽中那臭名昭著的野蠻，但我作了充分的準備並最後以他的方式戰勝了他(也用了野蠻殘酷的方式)。
9. beat someone hands down -- 不用手就能戰勝對手，說明勝者太強，這勝利也來得太容易。 Yesterday I played tennis with him and he beat me hands down. He is too good for me. -- 昨天我跟他打了網球，他贏我太輕鬆了。我不是他的對手。
10. beat the shit out of someone -- 意思是把人打個半死，但這是句髒話。"把人嚴重打傷"可以說"beat someone severely"。 shit是什麽? 就是excrement，存在於人的腸子裏麵。你要是把人的excrement都打出來了，還不得把人打死! 中國也有人會說這樣的髒話: 我把你屎都打出來你信不信! 這句中文的英文翻譯就是I'll beat the shit out of you! 英文還有一句意思相同的髒話: beat the hell out of someone。學語言嗎，好話髒話都需要學點，髒話不提倡說，但也無法避免。打人更是要製止。
一個簡單的打字，引出我這麽一長篇廢話。Hope I was not beating around the bush too much。這又打人又罵人的，別怪我，實在是英文有關 beat 的表達又多又精彩。
(完)
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