美国习惯用语-第309讲:和"大桶"有关的习语
<p>我们今天学的习惯用语都有这个词：<span word="barrel">barrel</span>。<span word="Barrel">Barrel</span>是大桶，用来载运啤酒、威士忌、食糖、汽油等各种货品。我们要学的第一个习惯用语是：<span word="scrape">scrape</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bottom">bottom</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="barrel">barrel</span>。<span word="Scrape">Scrape</span>是刮的意思。<span word="Scrape">Scrape</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bottom">bottom</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="barrel">barrel</span>从字面上看，意思是刮桶底。它的出处可能是酒桶里仅仅剩下桶底那一丁点儿的酒了，实在要喝就只能刮桶底。刮桶底取上来的酒有沉淀甚至还混着木屑，会好喝吗？想必不行，所以刮桶底是百般无奈才出此下策的。</p><p>这个习惯用语在生活中有更为广泛的应用。让我们听一个例子吧。这是一个人在谈论他吝啬的老板想尽可能少花点儿钱来雇用办公室工作人员。好，我们一起听这段话吧。</p><p>例句-1：<span word="Our">Our</span> <span word="boss">boss</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="cheap">cheap</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="wont">wont</span> <span word="pay">pay</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="standard">standard</span> <span word="wage">wage</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="help">help</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="office">office</span>. <span word="So">So</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="scrape">scrape</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bottom">bottom</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="barrel">barrel</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="end">end</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="hiring">hiring</span> <span word="secretaries">secretaries</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="cant">cant</span> <span word="type">type</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="spell">spell</span>. 我们老板真小气，不愿意按照标准工资水平出钱雇用办公人员，所以我们只好不得已而求其次。最后雇了几个既不会打字，拚写也是一团糟的秘书。</p><p>从这儿可见<span word="scrape">scrape</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bottom">bottom</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="barrel">barrel</span>含义是出于无奈，只得滥竽充数将就将就。</p><p>我们要学的下一个习惯用语是：<span word="have">have</span> <span word="somebody">somebody</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="barrel">barrel</span>。<span word="Have">Have</span> <span word="somebody">somebody</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="barrel">barrel</span>这个习惯用语从表面上看，意思是把某人放在大桶上。有些学者认为这个习惯用语来自人们的一个老习惯，以前把溺水的人从水里救上来以后，人们惯常让这个人俯伏在侧放的大桶上，然后来回滚动这个大桶，促使伏在上面的人吐出呛进胸腹内的积水。可想而知，当时这个伏在桶上奄奄一息的人是无能为力、听人摆布的了。</p>
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