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每到长假,主题公园就会异常火爆,在我们为了游乐场项目苦苦排队时,有的人却能直接跳过长龙,进入游戏玩耍,这个时候老外就不禁感慨道“Money talks!”
money是“钱”,talk是“说话”,当他们放在一起money talks难道是“钱会说话”?这显然是不可能的。
在这里,talk应该理解成“话语权”,所以“money talks”相当于我们平常说的“金钱万能”“财大气粗”这个含义。
例句
The formula in the game is simple – money talks.
游戏的规则很简单–金钱万能。
除此之外,其实还有很多与money有关的英语俚语,下面我们就一起来看看这些有趣的表达吧
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new money
从字面意思来看,大家可能会理解为“新钱,新注入的资金”,但实际上它是指那些“没有出生在富裕的家庭,也没在富裕的文化中长大,但自主赚取到财富的人”,偏中性,有时也带贬义,可以理解为“暴发户”相当于new rich。
例句
We don't associate with Mike and his family, they are new money and don't share the same values as us.
我们不与迈克和他的家人交往,因为他们是暴发户,和我们的价值观不同。
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old money
有“new money”当然就有“old money”,它的含义正好与“new money”相对应。其字面意思是“旧钱或老钱”,在俚语中表示“贵族或者继承祖传财产的人”,也就是我们时常说的“富家子弟”。
例句
It's said that the old money won't be rich in the third generation.
据说富不过三代。
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dear money
这可不是“亲爱的钱”,要知道dear 除了“亲爱的”外,还有“昂贵的,高价的”意思,所以 dear money 是指“非常昂贵的钱”,什么钱是昂贵的呢?当然是“高利贷”,所以大家最好不要碰!
例句
Making dear money is illegal.
放高利贷是违法的。
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funny money
这里的funny money 并不是“搞笑的钱”,因为funny 除了表示“搞笑、滑稽、奇怪”,还有“非法的,不诚实的”意思。所以funny money 表示“假币,来路不明的钱,黑钱”。
例句
He got arrested for trying to use funny money at a department store.
他因为在百货商店使用假钱被捕了。
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其他和money相关的表达
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get/have one's money's worth
用于表示“钱花出去十分值得,性价比十分高”。
例句
He's had his money's worth out of that suit - he's been wearing it for years.
他那套西装买得很值——他穿了很多年了。
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have money to burn
burn的意思是“燃烧”,所以have money to burn就是指“烧钱或者挥霍钱财”。
例句
I don't know what her job is but she certainly seems to have money to burn.
我并不知道他的工作是什么,但她看起来确实有钱去挥霍。
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money doesn't grow on trees
其字面意思是“钱不是在树上长出来的”,假如用中文更加贴切地翻译的话,就是我们常说的“钱都不是大风刮来的或者钱不是从天上掉下来的”。
例句
He asked me if I could buy him a laptop and I just told him money doesn’t grow on trees!
他问我可不可以买一台笔记本给他,我告诉他钱不会从天下掉下来!
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squirrel away money
squirrel意为“松鼠”,它有把食物藏在隐密地方的习惯。所以这个表达就是“把钱存起来”。
例句
Luckily, I had squirreled away around ten thousand dollars that helped me a lot during the recession.
很幸运地,我把大约一万美金存起来,可以帮助我度过这段经济衰退的时期。
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和钱相关却只字不提money的表达
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1. Break the bank
– to use up all of your money
倾家荡产
例句
It only costs $2. That's not going to break the bank.
只花了两英镑,不会倾家荡产。
2. Bring home the bacon
– to earn money for a family
赚钱,养家糊口
例句
As the head of the family, he ensures that he brings home the bacon.
作为一家之主,他保证自己赚钱养家。
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3. Cash in on (something)
– to make money from an opportunity
大赚一笔
例句
The writer cashed in on one best-seller of his works.
那位作家靠他作品中的一本畅销书赚钱。
4. Look like a million dollars
– to look very good
容光焕发,看上去十分漂亮
例句
Today is my wedding day and I really want to look like a million dollars.
今天是我结婚的日子,所以我很想打扮得光彩照人。
5. Pinch pennies
– to be very careful with money, to be thrifty
精打细算
例句
We must pinch pennies to make ends meet.
我们一定要精打细算,以求收支平衡。
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