Come on, shake a leg!
嗨,摇摇腿!
叫人「摇摇腿」是什么意思?
leg 是一个常用词,在英语里可以构成许多习语,有时从字面上不太好猜出确切意思。比如 pull someone's leg 不是「拖后腿」,而是「开玩笑/愚弄某人」。
shake a leg 本来是一则俚语,有两个意思:
「跳舞」
「赶快」
现在多用于口语中表示第二个意思,是叫人抓紧时间或赶快行动。例句:
We'd better shake a leg, or we'll miss the bus.(我们得抓紧点儿,要不就赶不上公共汽车了。)
注意:shake a free / loose leg 则是「放荡」的意思。
The boy took to his leg as soon as the police turned around.(警察一转身,那男孩撒腿就跑。)
You have your hands on thousands, you fools, and you hang a leg!(你们这群傻瓜,一伸手就可以拿到几千块钱,可你们却犹豫不决。)
Now, you must put your best leg foremost, old lady!(咳,赶紧快走呀,老太太!)
The boss is coming. Everyone has to show a leg.(老板要来了,所有人都得露个面儿。)
I have to stretch my legs after sitting in the office for three hours.(我在办公室里坐了三个小时,得遛遛腿。)
I think we have to stretch our legs according to the coverlet.(我看我们只能根据现有的条件想办法了。)
Let's try it on the other leg as this method doesn't seem to work.(既然这个法子看来不管用,咱们试试另一个办法吧。)
legs 还可以指「经久不衰的能力」或「持久的影响力」,例如:
We all believe that movie will have legs.(我们都相信这部影片会产生长时期的轰动效应。)
此外,leg 也可直接用作动词:Let's leg it.(咱们走着去吧。)
legman 是指(报社的)外勤记者、(以收集信息为生的)采访员或调查员,或从事户外工作的外勤人员。在俚语中,它还可以指对女人大腿感兴趣的人。
下一篇:高频情景口语对话:合约