文化洗禮360°
膽小如“雞”與“chicken out”
美國俚語中,“chicken”可用來表示“膽小的”,常用的一個和“chicken”有關(guān)的習(xí)語是:chicken out。
“chicken out”的意思是:原來計劃好做一件事,但是到最后一刻卻害怕了,感到完成不了,于是便中途停止或放棄,也可以說是臨陣退縮。這種事情幾乎每個人都在不同情況下經(jīng)歷過…
Today I was sure I could work up my courage and dive off the ten meter board at the pool. I walked right out to the edge, but then I chickened out—it looked like a long way down to the water!
我原來以為今天我肯定會鼓足了勇氣從游泳池那個十米高的跳臺上跳下去。可是,當(dāng)我走到跳臺邊緣的時候卻退縮。從跳臺到水面的距離看起來好遠(yuǎn)啊!
下面再來看一個例子:
My friend Joe was planning to get married for the fourth time. But at the last moment he chickened out because his first three marriages ended in divorce and he was afraid to take another chance.
我的朋友喬原來準(zhǔn)備要第四次結(jié)婚??墒?,到了最后一刻他膽怯了,因為他結(jié)過三次婚,最后結(jié)局都是離婚,所以他怕這次又會不成功。