LECTURE 169 基本動詞TAKE 18

LECTURE 169 基本動詞TAKE 18

詞組講解

1. take the bitter with the sweet ** 逆境順境都能承受，泰然對待人世的沉浮

解 習語；詞義溯源：按字面意思理解即可，take可譯為“接受，忍受”

例 About the odd and inimical weather South Korea has been experiencing the past two years, a farmer wisely says, “Every farmer knows you have to take the bitter with the sweet. We're at the mercy of Mother Nature and she's been good to us many more years than she's been bad—we have no bone to pick with her. ”

2. take the bull by the horns ** 不畏艱險，堅決而大膽地對付困難（或危險）

解 習語；詞義溯源：拿住［牛（bull）］的［犄角（horns）］

例 The World Health Organization （WHO） released a country-by-country study of the steps governments around the world are taking to combat the spread of AIDS. In it, WHO gave scathing reviews of most African, Middle-Eastern and Asian countries for, in its words, “failing to take the bull by the horns. ”

3. take the cake * 獲頭獎

解 〈口〉俚語；詞義溯源：獲得［蛋糕（cake）］，表示優(yōu)勝

例 With his bright orange pants, pink polka-dotted shirt and combat boots, I'd say Laub's fashion takes the cake this year again. If he wins the Most Preposterous Fashion award again, it'll be his third year in a row.

4. take the edge off sth. / take the edge off ** 減弱；挫…的銳氣

解 習語；詞義溯源：?。圩撸╫ff）］某物的［（刀等的）刀刃、鋒利的部分（edge）］

例 Sir, construction of the solar reflection station will be completed by the end of next month. If all goes as planned, the orbiting station should be able to reflect enough of Alpha star's light to noticeably take the edge off the heat we're suffering on the planet surface. Let's keep our fingers crossed .

5. take the Fifth ** 保持沉默，避而不答

解 習語；詞義溯源：行使［《美國憲法》第五條修正案（該修正案規(guī)定，犯罪嫌疑人有權(quán)不回答對自己不利的問題）（the Fifth）］規(guī)定的保持沉默的權(quán)利

例 There's nothing we can do to force him to testify in a trial in which he is the defendant. He's taken the Fifth and unless we can persuade him to change his mind, that's final. See if you can talk to him, Smith, and convince him that he's only hurting himself by insisting upon his Fifth Amendment right.

鞏固練習

(A) take the bitter with the sweet

(B) taking the bull by the horns

(C) takes the cake

(D) take the edge off

(E) taking the Fifth

1. A: What is Guinness Book of Records? B: It's a record of all the best, the biggest, the longest, shortest etc. —anything that ______ in any category. A: That's all? B: That's all! Anything that displays the most of any certain characteristic is recorded in the book for all to read.

2. A: Each year I get a new group of fifth-grade students. Some are wonderful, and some are dreadful. It's the good ones that make my teaching so enjoyable, but I know I have to accept the bad ones to enjoy the good ones. B: Right. Same for me. I have to ______!

3. A: My father was the kind of man who didn't hesitate to confront a problem or difficult situation. He'd boldly deal with it without delay. B: So why don't you take a leaf out of his book and start ______? You always put off dealing with problems. Didn't you learn anything from him?

4. A: We need a substantial pay raise to reduce the harsh effect of inflation. B: I agree that a pay raise will help ______ inflation, but it will also contribute to the inflation. You have to take that into account too.

5. A: He refuses to speak about it, sir. He's ______—refuses to testify. B: Oh he does, doesn't he? If he won't tell us anything, send him to his cell.

■ ANSWER

1. (C)

2. (A)

3. (B)

4. (D)

5. (E)

參考譯文

I. 1. 過去兩年，韓國的天氣一直非常惡劣，但是一名農(nóng)民明智地說：“每一位農(nóng)民都知道得逆來順受。我們靠大自然吃飯，大自然給予我們更多的還是好處——我們不能對她不滿?！?

2. 世界衛(wèi)生組織發(fā)布了有關(guān)世界各國政府采取措施應(yīng)對艾滋病蔓延的研究報告。報告對大部分非洲地區(qū)、中東地區(qū)和亞洲地區(qū)的措施用詞犀利，用報告中的話來說，“他們沒能痛下決心，面對當前的困難”。

3. 橙黃色褲子、粉色花紋襯衫和短筒靴，我得說勞布的服飾今年有可能再次得獎。如果他能再次獲得最可笑服飾獎，這將是他連續(xù)第三年得這個獎了。

4. 先生，太陽能反射站的建設(shè)將在下個月底完成。如果一切按計劃進行，軌道站應(yīng)該能反射阿爾法星足夠多的光，大幅降低地球表面的溫度。讓我們?yōu)槌晒ζ矶\吧。

5. 在這次審判中，他是被告，我們無法強迫他作證。他一直保持沉默，如果我們不能勸說他改變想法，那么結(jié)果就是板上釘釘?shù)牧?。史密斯，看看你能不能和他談?wù)?，讓他相信，如果他一直保持沉默的話只會傷害他自己?

II. 1. A：《吉尼斯世界紀錄大全》是什么？B：它是涵蓋所有最好的、最大的、最長的、最短的等等的紀錄——任何能在所屬類別中名列榜首的記錄。A：就這些？B：就這些！任何能夠展示某些特點的東西都被收錄在書中供人們閱讀。

2. A：每年我都會接手一批新的五年級學(xué)生。有些很出色，有些很糟糕。那些好學(xué)生讓我享受教學(xué)的樂趣，但是我知道我不得不接受那些壞學(xué)生，這樣才能享受那些好學(xué)生帶來的樂趣。B：很對，我也是如此。不管悲喜都得接受！

3. A：我父親是那種面對問題和困境毫不猶豫的人。他能毫不遲疑地大膽處理困難。B：那么你為什么不向他學(xué)習，挺身面對困難呢？你解決問題時總是拖拖拉拉。你就沒有從他身上學(xué)到什么東西嗎？

4. A：我們需要大幅加薪，減少通貨膨脹帶來的惡劣影響。B：我同意，加薪將幫助減輕通貨膨脹，但是它也能進一步導(dǎo)致通貨膨脹。你也得把這一點考慮在內(nèi)。

5. A：先生，他拒絕談?wù)撨@一問題。他保持沉默——拒絕作證。B：哦，他保持沉默，是嗎？如果他不向我們說明任何情況，就把他送到牢房吧。