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2012 年 04 月 06 日 (No.557)

 
 
 
    說明:
    這個用法可追溯到聖經之類的古文學中,現在亦常被使用。表示因體力、能力 等不足而
    「半途而廢」,亦可比喻事情好比被丟在路旁 (wayside) 一樣,已經 「不再重要」。
     
    示範句:
 
With sports and a part-time job taking up much of his time, Allen's schoolwork
    has fallen by the wayside.
    運動和打工佔去艾倫大部分的時間,他的課業已經半途而廢了。
     
 
    說明:
    fall flat 指「事情的結果不如預期;完全失敗」;fall flat on one's face 字面意義是指人
    「直挺挺臉朝地面倒下」,後來常用來指某人因為犯下無可補救的錯誤而弄到不可收拾的
    地步,導致事情「完全失敗;一敗塗地」。
     
  The highly publicized movie fell flat on its face and did not make any money.
    那部大打廣告的電影,結果一敗塗地,根本沒賺到錢。
     
 
     
   
   
 
使用情境
用法小提醒
beard
●( 長在下巴或臉頰的)鬍子
「絡腮鬍」是 full beard, 若是只有下巴一小撮尖尖的「山羊鬍」,則叫做 goatee
mustache
●( 長在鼻子和嘴唇間的)鬍子
     
    示範句:
   

beard

 

I wish I could grow a beard, but I can't.

   

我希望我能長鬍子,但是沒辦法。

     
 

Santa Claus has a long white beard.

   

聖誕老人有長長的白鬍子。

     
 

He had to shave off his beard when he joined the military.

    加入軍隊時,他必須刮掉鬍子。
     
    mustache
 
He shaved off his mustache after a few days.
    幾天之後他刮掉了他的小鬍子。
     
  He wanted a mustache but hair wouldn't grow under his nose.
    他想留小鬍子,但是他的鼻子下方長不出毛髮。
     
  One character in the play had a thick mustache and always carried a pipe.
    劇中的一個角色有著濃密的小鬍子,並總是拿根煙斗。
     
 
     
  1001 Arabian Nights (1)  
  天方夜譚 (1)  
     
  There once was a very unhappy king. He had married a woman he loved, and she had been unfaithful. As punishment, he had her killed, and he swore that he would never trust another woman. Instead, every night he married a new wife, and every morning he had her killed.  
  As you might imagine, this did not make the king very popular with the ladies. Finally, the king's chief adviser ran out of women to offer the king for marriage. The adviser's daughter saw her father was worried and offered to marry the king. At first, the adviser refused. He did not want his daughter to die.  
  "Don't worry, Father," she said. “The king will not kill me. I have a plan."  
  That evening, the king married the adviser's daughter, and there was a great feast. When it was time to go to bed, she stood up and turned to the king. "My king, please allow me to tell you a story before we go to sleep," she said. "This is my wedding gift to you."  
  The king agreed, and his new queen began.  
     
  從前有個很不快樂的國王。 他娶了一位他深愛的女子,而她卻對他不忠。為了懲罰她,國王便將她處死了,並發誓再也不相信別的女人。相反地,他每天晚上都娶一名新的妻子,並在隔天早上將她處死。  
     
  你也許想像得到,這使得國王不太受到女性的青睞。最後,國王的首席大臣找不到肯嫁給國王的女子了。大臣的女兒看到她父親如此擔心,便表示願意嫁給國王。起初大臣拒絕,他不要自己的女兒去送死。  
     
  她說:「爸爸,別擔心,國王不會殺我的。我自有計畫。」  
     
  當天晚上,國王娶了大臣的女兒,並舉辦盛大的宴會。當就寢時間一到,她站起來轉身面對國王。她說:「吾王,請允許我在睡前講個故事給您聽,這是我送給您的結婚禮物。」  
     
  國王同意了,他的新任皇后便開始說故事。  
     
     
   
 
 
 
Arabian
adj.
阿拉伯的
 
 
unfaithful
adj.
不忠實的;不忠貞的(faithful 則指「忠實的;忠貞的」)
 
 
adviser
n.
顧問
 
 
feast

n.

盛宴
     
 
     
   
 

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