“eat his shirt”不是“吃他的衬衫”，真正的意思差远了！
Anne英语学习社


前几天，小编看到了一个表达“eat his shirt”，第一反应是这啥意思啊？不会是在说“吃他的衬衫”吧？




“eat one's shirt”有两种意思，中间的one's可以替换成各种所属格，比如：my; your; his; her等等。



eat one's shirt 收回前言，承认说错话



英文释义：To face the repercussion of being incorrect after one's claim, boast, or assertion is refuted; to eat one's words.

在主张、吹嘘或断言被驳斥后，面对不正确的后果；承认说错话



The member of parliament will have to eat his shirt for his claim that no new taxes would be introduced this year.

这位国会议员不得不承认自己说错了话，他声称今年不会征收新税。



You'll be eating your shirt if this new engine isn't as fast as you say it is.

如果这台新引擎没有你说的那么快，你就得收回自己的话。





eat one's shirt 亏本，蒙受损失



英文释义：To take a loss on a wasted or unfruitful investment.

在浪费或没有结果的投资上蒙受损失



I ended up having to eat my shirt on the cost of the lumber for the new shed after it was ruined by the rain.

大雨把新棚子毁了，我最后只能白白损失木材的费用。



“shirt”是我们日常生活中经常看到的衣服，英语中还有很多相关的俚语表达。



keep your shirt on 别生气

 

英文释义：said to tell someone to stop being so angry or upset

告诉某人停止生气或沮丧



Keep your shirt on! Your car isn't even scratched!

别生气！你的车连剐蹭的痕迹都没有！




put your shirt on sth 确信...会发生



英文释义：to feel very certain that something will happen

确信某事将会发生



I'd put my shirt on the president being re-elected.

我肯定总统会再次当选。



the shirt off sb's back （某人）仅剩的家当



英文释义：the last thing that someone has left

某人留下的最后一件东西



He's the kind of man who'd give you the shirt off his back.

他是那种能为你付出一切的人。


说完了“shirt”，再来看看“eat”。这个简单的单词同样也有很多俚语。



eat humble pie 认错；道歉

 

英文释义：to admit that you were wrong

承认错了



After boasting that his company could outperform the industry's best, he's been forced to eat humble pie.

他吹嘘他的公司可以压倒业内最好的企业，但之后，他就不得不承认言过其实了。



eat sb alive 愤怒地批评

 

英文释义：to criticize someone very angrily

生气地批评某人



If we get our facts wrong we'll be eaten alive by the press.

如果我们把事实弄错了，媒体会对我们大肆发难的。





eat sb for breakfast 不费吹灰之力制服（或打败）



英文释义：to be able to very easily control or defeat someone

能够很容易地控制或击败某人



He eats people like you for breakfast.

像你这样的人，他不费吹灰之力就给治服帖了。



eat your heart out 比你强多了



这个表达多用于开玩笑，out后面加上一个名人的名字，表示开玩笑地说比其还要强。



I'm singing in the village production of Tosca next month - eat your heart out Pavarotti!

下个月我们村剧团要上演《托斯卡》，我会上台一展歌喉——帕瓦罗蒂，我比你强多了！



eaten up with/by sth 内心充满（某种消极情绪）



He was so eaten up with guilt, he became ill.

心中的愧疚无时无刻不在折磨着他，最终他病倒了。


最后，再来和大家说一个同样常见，但是相关的俚语表达却可能让人猜不到意思的单词：spring。



大多数人知道“spring”是“春天”，但它作为名词还有“弹簧，发条；泉”的意思。“spring”作为动词有“跳，跃，蹦；突然出现；涌现”的意思。



a spring in your step 步伐轻快；（走路）轻松自信



There's been a definite spring in his step ever since he met Joanna.

自从他遇见乔安娜之后，走起路来步伐都轻快了。



spring to life 突然活跃（或忙碌）起来



After about eight o'clock the city springs to life.

大约8点钟过后，整个城市突然热闹起来。




spring to mind 跃入脑海



Say the word "Australia" and a vision of beaches and blue seas immediately springs to mind.

一提起“澳大利亚”几个字，脑海中立刻呈现出沙滩和蔚蓝的大海。



spring sth on sb 突然告诉（某人）；冷不防地问（某人）



英文释义：to suddenly tell or ask someone something when they do not expect it

突然告诉或问某人意料之外的事



I hope he's not going to spring any nasty surprises on us at the meeting this morning.

我希望今天上午的会议他不会冷不防对我们说出一些让人讨厌的话来。



spring for sth （通常替其他人）支付（或购买）（某物）



They offered to spring for the tickets.

他们愿意出钱买票。



spring from sth 起源于；来自；由…造成



His need to be liked obviously springs from a deep-rooted insecurity.

他渴望别人喜欢他，这显然源于一种根深蒂固的不安全感。