Practical Chinese
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每日惯用语 (12)
打旗号 Flaunt the banner of…
【注音】dǎ qí hào
【解释】过去，一个将军带兵打仗，他的身后总有人打着一个旗子，上面写着将军的姓，这就是旗号。现在旗号表示做某件事情的名义或借口。
In the old time, when a general goes out to a battle, he is always followed by someone carrying a banner with the general’s family name on it. Now the expression of “flaunt the banner of…” means doing something in the name of someone or under the pretext of something.
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Last Updated on Friday, 13 February 2009 09:45 |
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每日惯用语 (11)
打抱不平
Defend someone against injustice
【注音】dǎ bào bù píng
【解释】电视连续剧《水浒传》里的歌儿唱道：“路见不平一声吼，该出手时就出手”。《水浒传》里的英雄们都是爱“打抱不平”的好汉。
There ie a popular sentence in the theme song of the TV series “The Water Margin”:give an angry shout whenever see injustice on the way, and give them a good beating whenever necessary.” All the heroes in “The Water Margin” are such valiants.
【例子】
例：这事儿跟你有什么关系，你打什么抱不平呀？
Ex.：What’s your part in this? Why bother taking sides and defenging the weak?
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每日惯用语 (10)
出难题 Make things difficult
【注音】chū nán tí
【解释】有的老师出题考试，总喜欢出怪题，难题，好像和学生过不去一样。生活中这样的人也不少，总喜欢跟人出点难题。
Some teachers always set difficult and strange questions to give students a hard time. There are also such people in life, who take delight in making things difficult for others.
【例子】
例1：我们老板尽跟我出难题，我的英语不行，还让我当会谈翻译。
Ex1.：Our boss always make things difficult for me. My English is not so good, but he still made me interpret for the meeting.
例2：到中国来工作，是他自己跟自己出的难题。刚来的时候，他一句中文也不会说。不过，现在他能用中文工作了。
Ex2.：To work in China is the tough challenge he set for himself. He didn’t know a single word of Chinese when he just came. But now he is able to work with Chinese. |
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每日惯用语(9)
翅膀（长）硬了 Grow strong wings
【注音】chì bǎng (zhǎng) yìng le
【解释】小鸟儿的翅膀长硬了，就要离开父母独自觅食了，人长大了，就要离开父母，独自闯生活了，徒弟学会了手艺，就要离开师傅去闯营生了。当然父母有权利抱怨儿女们长大了就不要爹娘了；师傅们也有权利发“教会了徒弟饿死了师傅”这样的牢骚。
When little birds grow strong wings, they’ll leave their parents to seek food on their own, the same with human being. When children grow up, they’ll leave home to build up their own life independently. When apprentice grasp the skill, they will leave their master to establish their own business or career. It’s certainly understandable that parents grumble about kids growing up and they are not in need anymore; and that masters complain with “apprentice taught, master starved”.
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Last Updated on Monday, 15 September 2008 13:31 |
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每日惯用语 (8)
吃老本 Live off one’s past gains
【注音】chī lǎo běn
【解释】“老本”就是最开始时的投资，比喻原来的资历、成绩、贡献和能力等。做生意，如果你把本投进去了，老是不赚钱，最后连“老本”都赔光了。一个人没有什么新的作为，只是依靠过去的声誉或影响生存，当然不会长久的。所以吃老本的人是会被人瞧不起或没有前途的。
Lao Ben is your starting capital, here is used as a metaphor for your past qualifications, achievements and capabilities. Take business as an example, after you put in your starting capital, if you can’t make a profit from it, you’ll be losing your “old capital”. And as a man, if he only rests on his laurels gained before but makes no new accomplishments, it won’t last very long. Therefore, those who live off their past gains will be looked down upon and won’t have a prospect.
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