如何用英語表達(dá)“以其人之道,還治其人之身”
如何用英語表達(dá)“以其人之道,還治其人之身”
如今互聯(lián)網(wǎng)這么發(fā)達(dá),什么東西只要一放到網(wǎng)上,就會一發(fā)不可收拾。如果你突然發(fā)現(xiàn),朋友沒有經(jīng)過允許,就把你的一張很丑陋的照片放到了網(wǎng)上,你會怎么做?下面小編教大家如何用英語表達(dá)“以其人之道,還治其人之身”?
如何用英語表達(dá)“以其人之道,還治其人之身”
我的朋友Jennifer就被同事這么捉弄過一回。她也不示弱,立即找出一張同事更丟人的舊照片,發(fā)給了更多的人。這種做法在英語里叫:Beat someone at their own game.
beat在中文里是打擊的意思,game是比賽,游戲。beat someone at their own game,就是以其人之道,還治其人之身的意思。我的朋友Jennifer如法炮制,把同事一些見不得人的照片放到網(wǎng)上,讓更多的人都看到,就可以說是She beat her at her own game.
如果說這是一場搞笑的惡作劇的話,那么在下面這個(gè)例子里兩家餐館之間的血拼大降價(jià),就沒有這么好笑了。讓我們聽聽看。
"The restaurant across the street from ours was running a special. Guests who ordered a dinner entrée could receive another at half price. So we introduced an even better deal: buy one entrée, get the other free. Now our place is packed. We're BEATING THE COMPETITION AT THEIR OWN GAME."
其中一位老板說:“街對面的餐館推出特價(jià)活動(dòng),點(diǎn)一道主菜,第二道菜半價(jià)。我們以其人之道,還治其人之身, 決定買一送一,結(jié)果現(xiàn)在我們餐館里的生意特別紅火。我們在這次較量中戰(zhàn)勝了對手。”
如果是我,我也會光顧這家餐館的。經(jīng)濟(jì)不好的時(shí)候,商家就更要想方設(shè)法地吸引顧客。商業(yè)競爭真是英語里常說的“Dog-Eat-Dog”殘酷無情。
剛才我們談到了商業(yè)競爭的殘酷無情。不過有的時(shí)候,beat someone at their own game也會給生活增添不少樂趣。讓我們一起來聽聽下面這對夫妻之間的小故事。
"I thought taking my wife sailing was a pretty cool birthday surprise. But, for my big day, she took me skydiving in Mexico. Every year is the same. No matter what gift ideas I come up with, hers are cleverer. She BEATS ME AT MY OWN GAME all the time."
這個(gè)人說:“我本來以為帶妻子去航海是一個(gè)絕妙的生日禮物,但是我過生日的時(shí)候,她卻計(jì)劃好了一起到墨西哥去跳傘。每年都是這樣,她總能想出更棒的生日禮物來,讓我自愧不如。”
去年冬天,我跟老公學(xué)下國際象棋,怎么也贏不了他,結(jié)果我正好有機(jī)會采訪了一位象棋高手,跟他學(xué)了幾招,回家就把老公打敗了。I finally beat him at his own game.
最近美國經(jīng)濟(jì)不景氣,很多公司都在裁員。我前些天做了一個(gè)夢,夢見早上去上班,結(jié)果接到通知,說我們被另外一家電臺取代了。They beat us at our own game. 一下子驚醒過來,好在是個(gè)夢。
從上面的例子大家肯定已經(jīng)看出,to beat someone at their own game這個(gè)習(xí)慣用語里的game可以用來指任何努力和工作。這個(gè)習(xí)慣用語可以追溯到十三世紀(jì)中葉,真可以說是歷史悠久了。
節(jié)日英語:元宵佳節(jié)的各種習(xí)俗
吃元宵
Eating Yuanxiao
元宵是元宵節(jié)的特色食品。據(jù)說,元宵是因漢武帝時(shí)期的一位名叫元宵的宮女而得名。
Yuanxiao is the special food for the Lantern Festival. It is believed that Yuanxiao is named after a palace maid, Yuanxiao, of Emperor Wu Di of the Han Dynasty.
元宵是一種帶餡兒的甜食,是由糯米粉加上甜的餡料制成。
Yuanxiao is a kind of sweet dumpling, which is made with sticky rice flour filled with sweet stuffing.
元宵節(jié)就是因此食品得名。
And the Festival is named after the famous dumpling.
元宵的烹制方法非常簡單,將元宵倒入裝滿沸水的鍋中煮幾分鐘就可以了。
It is very easy to cook - simply dump them in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes - and eaten as a desert.
猜燈謎
Guessing lantern riddles
猜燈謎也是元宵節(jié)活動(dòng)的一個(gè)基本組成部分。
"Guessing lantern riddles"is an essential part of the Festival.
燈籠的所有者將謎語寫在一張紙條上,然后將紙條展示在燈籠上。
Lantern owners write riddles on a piece of paper and post them on the lanterns.
如果賞燈者猜出謎語,就將紙條取出,然后找燈籠所有者確認(rèn)答案。
If visitors have solutions to the riddles, they can pull the paper out and go to the lantern owners to check their answer.
打?qū)Φ脑?,他們就可以領(lǐng)取一份小禮品。
If they are right, they will get a little gift.
這個(gè)活動(dòng)起源于宋朝(960——1279)。
The activity emerged during people's enjoyment of lanterns in the Song Dynasty (960-1279).
猜燈謎活動(dòng)極富情趣和智慧,因此在全社會廣受歡迎。
As riddle guessing is interesting and full of wisdom, it has become popular among all social strata.
看煙火
Watch fireworks
元宵節(jié)的白天會有舞龍舞獅、劃旱船、扭秧歌、踩高蹺。
In the daytime of the Festival, performances such as a dragon lantern dance, a lion dance, a land boat dance, a yangge dance, walking on stilts and beating drums while dancing will be staged.
而在晚上,除了各種大型燈會,燦爛的焰火也是一幅美麗的畫卷。
On the night, except for magnificent lanterns, fireworks form a beautiful scene.
很多家庭在春節(jié)時(shí)會留下一部分煙花等著元宵節(jié)放。
Most families spare some fireworks from the Spring Festival and let them off in the Lantern Festival.
有的地方政府甚至?xí)M織焰火晚會。
Some local governments will even organize a fireworks party.
當(dāng)新年的第一輪圓月升上夜空時(shí),人們都會因燃放的煙火和空中的明月而興奮。
On the night when the first full moon enters the New Year, people become really intoxicated by the imposing fireworks and bright moon in the sky.