[VOA朗讀] Words and Their Stories: More Clothing Expressions

 

Last week, I explained some English expressions about clothes. Everything I told you was true. I did not talk through my hat or say something without knowing the facts.

Everyone knows there are many English expressions about clothes. There is no need to keep it a secret, or keep it under your hat. In fact, if I keep talking, soon enough you will start to think I am an old hat about this -- a real expert. Do not be fooled, though. My friends sometimes call me a wolf in sheep’s clothing. This is someone who acts like a good person, but is really a bad person.

I’m not really a bad person. But I do love clothes. It is always fun to get dressed up. I look great in my best clothes. When I put them on, I feel decked out. You might say when I wear my best clothes, I am dressed to the nines or dressed to the teeth. In fact, my husband says I look dressed to kill. Of course, I would never kill anyone. But, there is something special about putting on clothes that are pleasing to the eye.

My best clothes are not modern or fashionable. Maybe someday they will come into fashion. But I really do not care. They certainly look better on me than my birthday suit. Did you know that everyone has a birthday suit? You wear it when you are wearing no clothes at all. Babies are born wearing their birthday suits.

I am very careful with my clothes. I handle them with kid gloves. I try not to get them dirty or torn. Most of my clothes fit like a glove. They fit perfectly. But when I eat too much, I feel like my clothes might burst at the seams. My clothes feel too restrictive and tight.

Some of the clothes I like best are hand-me-downs. My older sister gave them to me when she no longer wanted them. Hand-me-downs are great because clothes often cost too much money. I live on a shoestring. I have a very small budget and little money to spend on clothes. However, my sister has a lot of money to spend on clothes. Maybe someday the shoe will be on the other foot. The opposite will be true. I will have a lot of money to buy clothes and my sister will get hand-me-downs from me.

I admit I dream of being rich. I dream that someday I will be able to live like a rich person. I will know what it is like to walk in another person’s shoes. Some of my friends got rich by riding someone else’s coat tails. They are successful today as a result of someone else being successful. But, I believe you should never criticize others for something you would do yourself. What is said about someone else can also be said about you. Remember, if the shoe fits, wear it.



注1)To talk through one's hat這個俗語的意思就是：說話的人自己根本不懂，所以他的話實際上是胡說八道。這個俗語是出自兩百年前的一次總統競選。在1888年，紐約的一家報紙登了一幅漫畫，諷刺當時正在競選總統的本傑明·哈裏森。哈裏森經常戴一頂很高的帽子，所以漫畫家把他的帽子畫得很大，連他的臉都給遮住了。漫畫下麵的注解說，當哈裏森發表競選演說的時候，他是通過他的帽子向聽眾說話的，也就是他是在胡說八道 。盡管如此，哈裏森還是在那次競選中當選為美國總統。
例句: Anybody who says we can balance the budget without raising taxes is just talking through his hat.
譯文：“誰要是說我們能夠在不提高稅收的情況下使預算平衡的話，那真是胡說八道。”

注2) keep something under one’s hat. 它的意思是keep something secret，即隱瞞某事。我們可以從字麵上理解這個片語：朋友們想想，如果我們把某物放在帽子裏，或把某物放在帽子下使之被遮住，不正是“隱瞞“的意思嗎？
例句：Greg leaked information about his company to a competitor for getting more pay. Although he tried to keep it under his hat, finally, his boss found out and called the police.
譯文：Greg 為了獲得許多錢，泄露了他們公司的信息給競爭者，雖然他盡力隱瞞，但最後他的老板還是發現了並報了警。

注3) old hat 陳腐的東西,過時的東西;非常熟悉或擅長的事物,專家

注4) a wolf in sheep’s clothes 披著羊皮的狼
例句：He is a wolf in sheep’s clothing,outwardly kind but inwardly vicious!
譯文：他是個披著羊皮的狼,外貌仁慈,內心狠毒!

注5) decked out 打扮得光彩照人

注6) be dressed to the nines 打扮得非常漂亮,穿著華麗,穿得很講究。to the nines 表示很完美
例句：The girls were dressed up to the nines and went to the party.
譯文：姑娘們個個盛裝打扮，前去赴宴。

注7)Dress to the Teeth = dressed elegantly
跟中國成語“武裝到牙齒”有異曲同工之妙，表示某人費盡心機著裝打扮。
範例對話:
A: Did you see Hilda at the party last night?
B: Yes, I did. She was really dressed to the teeth!
A: Well, she had on her finest, most elegant clothing because she was out to make a good impression on Bill.

注8) be dressed to kill打扮得打扮得漂亮入時。Dressed to kill意思當然不是穿上蒙麵的緊身衣去幹殺人的勾當； dressed to kill用來指穿上了華麗講究或者時髦新穎的服裝大出風頭，可能有人會想不通這個習慣用語的來曆。
一種解釋是如此漂亮的打扮讓人見了傾倒銷魂。人們說某人dressed to kill通常的含義是這人精心打扮為了吸引異性的注意。比方說在下麵的例子裏說話的人在說他兄弟Pete去跟女朋友約會時的穿著打扮。
例句：Pete usually wears jeans and a T-shirt. But last night it was hard to recognize him -- he was dressed to kill because he finally got a date with that blond he's admired for so long.
譯文：Pete通常老穿牛仔褲和汗衫，但是昨晚你簡直就認不得他。他打扮得帥極了，因為他傾心已久的那位金發小姐終於同意跟他出去約會了。

注9) birthday suit是英美特別是美國慣用的一則非常幽默的俚語，常用作"complete nakedness（赤身裸體）"的一種委婉說法，它本身隱喻的是一個人呱呱墮地時一絲不掛的情景。

注10) handle with kid gloves  靈活處理,溫和、小心對待。 Glove是手套，而這兒的kid指羊羔，所以kid gloves就是羊羔皮手套。這種手套十分柔軟細滑，而得戴著羊羔皮手套才能觸摸擺弄的想必是那種碰不得的、務必倍加小心的物件。當然handle with kid gloves作為習慣用語是作比喻的。
例句：She is very sensitive about the subject.You will have to handle her with kid gloves.
譯文：她對那個問題委敏感，你對她一定要謹慎。
　　

注11) fit like a glove (大小、形狀)完全合適,恰好合身

注12) burst at the seams脹破,過滿,過於擁擠

注13) hand-me-down 別人用舊或不要而傳到他人的東西,尤指留給弟弟妹妹的衣服

注14) live on a shoestring 過極節儉的生活,靠很少錢過日子,過緊日子

注15) the shoe is on the other foot 形勢完全不同了,今非昔比

注16) walk in someone’s shoes 穿別人的鞋子走路，引申為設身處地,推己及人,相同經曆

注17) ride someone’s coattails 直譯是壓著別人的燕尾服的意思，引申為利用與成功人士的關係達到目的、獲得成功。

注18) If the shoe fits, wear it. 如果是真的就承認吧/如果認為是對的就做吧。