美国俚语网

篇一：美国俚语里的美国文化

龙源期刊网 .cn

美国俚语里的美国文化

作者：黄丽凡

来源：《文教资料》2015年第04期

摘 ; ;要： 语言是文化的载体。俚语是语言的一种形式，承载着丰富的文化内涵。本文分析了美国俚语的语言特点和功能，反映了美国人自信、幽默、注重时间效率、反权威、非正式和具有创新意识的文化特征。随着社会的发展，美国俚语越来越多地为美国人所接受。加深对俚语文化知识的了解，有助于顺利地进行语言交际。

关键词： 美国俚语 ; ;文化特征 ; ;语言交际

一、俚语的定义

第六版牛津高阶英汉双解词典对俚语（slang）的解释是：在口语中较常见的不正式的词或表达，尤其为某一特定群体所用，如孩子、士兵、罪犯，等等[1]。俚语是一种非习惯用语，是粗俗的或通行面极窄的方言词，用于表达新鲜事物，或赋予旧事物新说法。它是人们在日常生活中总结出来的顺口或通俗易懂的具有地方色彩的词语，较生活化。美国的俚语是指在美国非常广泛使用的、约定俗成的口头语。俚语多是口头使用，有时还带贬义，不能跟当事人当面说，一般只能背后说。例如，警察的正规说法是police，但俚语是cop。Cop这个词带有轻蔑之意，只能大家平时私下讲，不能当面对着一个美国警察这么说。

二、俚语的起源和发展

产生俚语的原因很多，如社会阶层、文化背景、人种差异、地域间隔，都可产生属于某一圈内人士所讲的“行话”，也就是所谓的俚语。俚语的起源还不清楚，初见于1800年的印刷品，所载为伦敦罪犯们的行话。最初的美国俚语是吸毒者、流浪汉、黑人等下层人士使用的暗语或行话。

现今俚语的主流已经不只局限于这些亚文化群，已发展为主宰美国当今文化主流的上层人士创造的俚语。那些曾经被定义为“难登大雅之堂”的美国俚语已频频出现在美剧、名报、名著、电视、网络中，甚至是美国总统的正式演说中。美剧Desperate Housewives《绝望的主妇》剧情贴近生活，其中口语也生动活泼，剧中用了很多很实用的流行美式俚语。例如：cost an arm and a leg是指to be very expensive极其昂贵之意。因此可以说美国俚语已融入到主流文化的“血液”中。俚语在美国人的日常交谈中广泛使用。随着科技的日新月异，新事物不断涌现，大量俚语也应运而生。其中最经典的、最耳熟能详的俚语就是“cool”了，原意是“凉，凉爽”之意，现作为俚语的意思是“动人的，妙极的”。

三、俚语的特征

篇二：美国俚语集锦

A

apple-polisher 马屁精

例如：She is a real apple-polisher for the way she's crawling around the boss

and making eyes at him.

她是一个马屁精，整天围着老板眉来眼去的。

as busy as a bee （象蜜蜂）忙忙碌碌的

as graceful as a swan （象天鹅）姿态优雅的

as gentle as a lamb （象羊羔）性情温顺的

as cunning as a fox （象狐狸）一样狡猾的

as poor as a church mouse 一贫如洗

B

I'm beat. 我非常疲乏。

beat gums 空洞无物、废话连篇的讲话

bell the cat 为众人的利益承担风险

black sheep 害群之马

Buddy, where is john？ 要上厕所?

Bungee jumping 蹦极跳

Stop bugging me, man!

喂，别烦我了。

C

blue collar 蓝领

white collar 白领

pink collar 粉领族（指和蓝领体力工人相当的女性工人）

gold-collar workers 金领族（一般都有一技之长，对公司工作的方方面面都十分了解，甚至对公司 的利润大小和收益都有直接的重要影响。他们的工作环境优雅，职业体面，

有着丰厚的收入和稳固的经济地位）

D

dog-eared books 读得卷了边的书

dog sleep 不时惊醒的睡眠

dog-tired 像狗一样的累

dog watch 夜班

old dog 上了岁数的人、老手

a sly dog 偷鸡摸狗者

a yellow dog 杂种狗、卑鄙可耻的小人

a big dog 看门狗、保镖；要人

You're a lucky dog! 你真是个幸运儿！

hot dog 热狗

dog nose 啤酒与杜松子酒的混合酒

a dog in a blanket 葡萄卷饼或卷布丁

as faithful as a dog 像狗一般的忠诚，在西方文化中，狗是"忠实、卖力、辛劳"的化身， He that lies down with dogs must rise up with flea.

近朱者赤，近墨者黑

A good dog deserves a good bone.

西方人论功行赏时常说"好狗应有好骨头" a

a dog in the manger 占着马槽（不拉屎）

Honey, I forget to duck. 亲爱的，我忘记闪开了。

E

eat crow 由于夸大其词或过分自信，最后不得不承认错误。

eat his words 食言

out at elbows 捉襟见肘

elbow one's way 用胳膊肘挤来挤去为自己开道

get a black eye 被别人打青了眼睛

mind your eye 叫别人当心

blink our eyes 眨眼睛

flash our eyes at sth. 瞟一眼

make eyes 抛媚眼

cast sheep's eye 暗送秋波

You have an eye for something. 有眼光有见解

finely arched eyebrows 纤细的弓形眉

pencil the eyebrows 描眉

eyebrow pencil 眉笔

rough bushy eyebrows 浓密的粗眉

eyelash grower 睫毛膏

eyelash curler 卷睫毛器

without turning an eyelash 泰然自若，不动声色

not bat an eyelid 没合眼睡觉

not bat an eyelid 对事情泰然自若

hang on by the eyelids 事情危在旦夕

F

face the music 不得不接受惩罚、承担后果，必须承受出现的局面

a matter of face 面子攸关的事情

lose face 丢面子

例如：He knew he was wrong, but he would not admit it for fear of losing face.

他知道自己错了，但却不肯承认错误，因为怕失去面子。

save one's face 挽回面子

pull a long face 拉长了脸

make a face at you 对你做个鬼脸

have the face 厚颜无耻

例如：I'm so surprised that you have the face to do so!

你怎么有脸做出这样的事！

cold fish 态度冷冰冰，没有热情的人。

drink like a fish 牛饮

flats 平跟鞋

footfall 客流量

例如：We strive to show booksellers what we are doing to support them and

drive footfall into their stores.

我们要努力向图书商展示我们将如何支持他们，并使更多的客人进入他们的商店。

G

green eyed 嫉妒

green finger（thumb）?把大伙干不好的活都干得漂漂亮亮

例如：A person with green finger has a magic touch that makes plants grow well and quickly. 长着绿手指的人是有魔法的，只要他一碰，植物就长的又快又好。

green hand 生手

例如： I'm still green at my job.

我依然是个新手。

green light 允许、许可

例如： I'm only waiting for the green light from you.

我在等您的允许。

green revolution 绿色革命

例如：These developing countries produced enough food to serve their people after green revolution.

绿色革命后，这些发展中国家就生产出足够的粮食来满足国民的需要。

the green years 青春年华

H

He is ripe in years but green in heart. 形容某人是老当益壮 lose your heart to someone 和某人谈恋爱

lack heart 缺乏勇气

win your heart 赢得你的心

broken heart 破碎的心

heart of stone 石头心肠

pour out your heart 倾吐你的心事

have a heart 可怜可怜你

his heart in the right place 他的心肠是很好的

not to wear your heart on your sleeve 不要太情绪化

Don't take the failure to your heart. 别为失败而难过

lose heart 失去信心

your heart of gold 金子般的心，美好心灵

write a letter to her and declared your heart. 写信表达爱慕之情 Don't let your heart get cold. 不要让你的热情冷却下来 a man after her own heart 正和她心意的人

put your heart at rest 放下心来

straight from the horse's mouth 来自权威和可靠的消息。

I

I was welcomed with open arms. 我被热烈欢迎。

J

Jargon 行话

K

keep a good house 招待周到

例如：I haven't got a good house, but I'll keep a good house. 我没有好的房子，但我会招待周到的。

篇三：一日一短语之美国俚语

【今日短语】

只身单干Go it alone

To go it alone 可形容一个人做事情自己做，没有其他人的帮忙，单干。

例句

1. Now that I have enough experience, I've decided to go it alone and start my ownbusiness.

2. I'm not ready to go it alone yet. I need another few years working in this company to gain more experience.

请注意：Alone 做形容词时可表达很多意思，其中包括“某人感到孤单，孤苦伶仃的；独自的；单独的，等等。

例句

1. After she left me, I felt completely alone.

2. I enjoy being alone sometimes.

3. Just the dress alone is going to break my bank, never mind the shoes to go with it

【今日小常识】

A popular saying in business circles is that you will never become rich by working for someone else.

在商界里有一个流行的说法：如果你总为别人打工，你永远也富不起来。

【今日短语】

没问题 No sweat

No sweat 是一个非常口语化的表达，意思是指什么事情很容易，举手之劳，没问题。 例句

1. "Can you take the rubbish out for me?" "Sure, no sweat!"

2. "We only have tea to drink, is that OK?" "Yeah, no sweat."

请注意：另一个短语 to sweat blood 和 no sweat 的意思正好相反，指为了办成什么事情而做出了很大的努力，花了很多心血。

例句

1. We sweated blood to get the project done on time.

【今日小常识】

Sweat allows the human body to regulate its temperature. Men sweat more than women andhumans sweat more than most other animals. Dogs have relatively few sweat glands andmoderate their temperature by panting.

出汗是人体调节体温的正常反映。男人比女人更容易出汗，而人类比大多数动物都更容易出汗。狗的汗腺较少，它们是通过舌头喘气来调节体温。

【今日短语】

别着急 Hold your horses

在英语里，我们常用 hold your horses 这个短语来告诉别人先别着急，应停下来仔细考虑他们对某件事情的看法或意见。

例句

1. Hold your horses! You've only known her for a week. It's waytoo soon to think

about marriage!

2. Hold your horses! You shouldn't quit your job just because you've had one bad day. Things might get better.

3. Hold your horses! Getting a tattoo on your face might seem like a good idea now, but you'llhave to live with it for the rest of your life.

请注意：To hold your own 的意思是和别人一样成功。

例句

1. It was a fierce debate but Kate really held her own. It's difficult to say who won.

【今日小常识】

The history of the domestication of horses is disputed, but there is evidence that horses werebeing used as a means of transport over 4,000 years ago.

到底是从什么时候开始马被人类驯养尚存争议。但有证据显示，早在四千年前马就被用来作为运输工具了。

【今日短语】

承担责任 To fall on your sword

【今日短语】

Fall on your sword 的字面意思是“摔倒在自己的剑上”，实际要表达的含义是某人为一组人的行动造成的不良后果承担责任。

例句

1. He doesn't think he's to blame – but he's falling on his swordanyway.

2. She's going to resign - she's falling on her sword even though it's not her fault.

3. He is the boss – it's only right he's falling on his sword this time.

请注意：另一个意思相似的短语是 to take some flak - 受到很多批评。

例句

1. She always takes some flak for things. Even when it's not her fault.

【今日小常识】

The honour of a Knighthood in the United Kingdom comes from the days of medieval chivalry. TheKing or Queen touches the person who is going to be knighted o

n the shoulders with a sword.

在英国授予荣誉骑士爵位勋章源于中世纪的骑士制度。仪式的形式是在位的君主手持宝剑在授勋骑士的左右肩膀上点拍一下。

【今日短语】

再次振作起来 Second wind

当我们形容某人有 a second wind 的时候，这就是说他们恢复了精力，再次崛起或继续做什么事情。

例句

1. I usually feel a bit tired after lunch but get a second windaround 4pm.

2. Observers said Barack Obama was judged to have lost the first Presidential debate withRepublican challenger Mitt Romney, but got a second wind in the second and third debate.

请注意：To throw caution to the wind 意思是把顾虑和担忧都抛在脑后，大胆的去做事。有时候也指办事欠考虑。

1. Sometimes you have to throw caution to the wind and go with your heart. Do what you believein.

2. You know what? I'm going to throw caution to the wind and bet all my money on thatracehorse. I think it's going to win.

【今日小常识】

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