美国习惯用语-第13期:To keep an ear tonb
<p>「美国习惯用语」第十三讲 </p><p><span word="To">To</span> <span word="keep">keep</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="ear">ear</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ground">ground</span> </p><p><span word="Up">Up</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="one">one</span>\'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="ears">ears</span> </p><p>大约一百五十年前，美国一些开荒的人逐步地到西部的荒野去开拓。这些拓荒者从当地印第安人那里学到了一个诀窍，那就是躺下身来把耳朵贴在地上，就可以听到几英里以外野兽奔跑的蹄声。这对于那些拓荒者来说是非常重要的，因为他们听到的蹄声也许是印第安人骑着马来攻打他们的马群奔跑声，也可能是几千头受惊的野牛正向他们奔驰而来。如果不及时躲避，他们会被这些野兽践踏成泥的。现在，印第安人和野牛群的威胁已经没有了。可是，把耳朵贴在地上这个诀窍已经成为一个俗语，在英文里也就是 <span word="to">to</span> <span word="keep">keep</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="ear">ear</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ground">ground</span>。 </p><p><span word="To">To</span> <span word="keep">keep</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="ear">ear</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ground">ground</span>，它的意思就是保持高度警觉，及早发现那些即将会发生的事情的预兆。比如说，一个精明的政客对选民的想法总是很警觉的，有时候，一些选民还没有想到的事，他们倒已经想到了。下面一位国会议员说的话正好说明了这一点： </p><p>例句-1:"<span word="Every">Every</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="weeks">weeks</span> <span word="while">while</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Congress">Congress</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="session">session</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="try">try</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="California">California</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="talk">talk</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="people">people</span>. <span word="This">This</span> <span word="doesn">doesn</span>\'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="give">give</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="relax">relax</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="family">family</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="keep">keep</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="ear">ear</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ground">ground</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="hear">hear</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="voters">voters</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="thinking">thinking</span> <span word="about">about</span>."</p><p>这位议员说：“当国会举行会议的时候我每两个星期设法抽空回加州一次去和当地的人进行交谈。我没有多少时间可以和家人在一起，但是我得及时了解选民的想法。” </p>
页:
[1]