Idioms 諺語

名人教英文﹕Idioms 諺語

文︰黃錢其濂 (Elizabeth Wong)
作者為前港英高官，移居澳洲多年，著作多元化，包括回憶錄、小說、英語教學書、散文等。

明報專訊】IDIOMS (1) are groups of words whose meanings cannot be guessed from the ordinary meaning of each word understood on its own.

Every language has its own idioms peculiar to the language itself.

Just as it is important to understand English grammar, so it is important to know common English idioms. This is particularly so for students who have little contact with native English speakers in their daily lives and who study English as a second language.

A knowledge of idioms will help students in their English examinations. It will enable them to decode (2) the mood and hidden meaning of a piece of writing. That is to say, a knowledge of idioms will help students to read between the lines. (3)

Here are some examples:

■Passage of the Week﹕Writing on the Wall (13)

Without wishing to teach grandma to suck eggs (14), I think it is a known fact that all Governments place premium on power and control (15). Officials seldom back down from a declared policy so as not to lose face. However, when the writing is on the wall (13), officials not only may lose face by having to back down, but may also run the risk of being totally humiliated as well.

■Footnotes 註解

1. Idioms: 諺語

    e.g.The passage has many idioms.

2. To decode: to understand the hidden meaning 解密

    e.g. I can easily decode the meaning of the passage.

3. To read between the lines: 了解暗示之意思

    e.g. I understand the writer's implied meaning as I read between the lines.

4. Jobs for the boys: 拉關係

    e.g. He has many supporters who are given jobs in his company which are really just jobs for the boys.

5. To take someone for a ride: 欺騙

    e.g. He tries to take me for a ride by asking me to pay for something which is a free gift.

6. To prime the pump: 用金錢來支持發展或開拓市場

    e.g. The company needs Government to prime the pump.

7. To walk all over someone: 欺負

    e.g. I was new in the company and Elaine walked all over me.

8. To face the music: 面對責罵

    e.g. I failed my examination; so I had to face the music at home.

9. To be tarred with the same brush: 有相同瑕疵

    e.g. My sister and I were tarred with the same brush.

10. To keep one's nose clean: 不找麻煩

     e.g. The new arrivals to this country kept their noses clean.

11. Neither here nor there: 不三不四

     e.g.My boss gave me a small increase in salary which was neither here nor there.

12. It's out of the question: 不可能的

     e.g.I hardly know you and to give you a million bucks is out of the question.

13. Writing on the wall: 困難快將來臨

     e.g.You are lazy. You skip classes. You will surely fail as writing is on the wall.

14. To teach grandma to suck eggs: 多此一舉，教他人已經會的東西

     e.g. She is well trained in swimming. For me to teach her how to do the breast stroke is to teach grandma to suck eggs.

15. To place premium on power and control: 重視權勢

     e.g.Many Governments place premium on power and control and seldom listen to the people.

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