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
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。
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。
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。
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。
其他和money相关的表达
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。
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。
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!
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。
和钱相关却只字不提money的表达
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。
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。