點滴英語天天學第371期:雅思詞彙(231)
1. Expression：loan shark
Explanation：One who lends money at exorbitant interest rates. （高利貸者）
Example：That awful loan shark has been bothering him for repayment recently.（快樂王子）
那個可怕的高利貨莊主最近一直煩着他要他還錢。
情景對話：
A：I heard from Lucy that Tina made a new boyfriend, didn’t she?
我聽露西說蒂娜新交了一個新男朋友，是嗎?
B：Yes, but I have told Tina to keep herself away from that boy.
是的，但是我告訴蒂娜要離那個男孩遠點。
A：Why?
爲什麼？
B：Because I heard from Mike that the boy’s father is a loan shark. I don’t want my daughter to have any relationship with that kind of people.
因爲我聽邁克說那男孩的父親是個放高利貸的人。我不希望我女兒和那種人有任何關係。
2. Expression：look a gift horse in the mouth
Explanation：To be ungrateful to someone who gives you something. （對禮物吹毛求疵，對禮物挑肥揀瘦，對禮物挑三揀四）
Example：I know Aunt Jean isn't your favorite person but she gave you that beautiful sweater as a present, so don't look a gift horse in the mouth!
我知道珍阿姨不是你最喜歡的人，但她送你那件漂亮的毛衣作爲禮物，所以不要對禮物吹毛求疵！
Even though the watch Mary gave you is not an expensive one, you should be quite contented with it and not look a gift horse in the mouth.
即使瑪麗送給你的表是便宜貨，你也該滿足，不應該對禮物說短道長。
It was one of mother's maxims never to look a gift horse in the mouth.
母親的箴言之一是“受贈之馬，不可相嘴。”
情景對話：
A: But I don't want this ancient car!
我不想要這過時的車。
B: I can't believe you're looking a gift horse in the mouth, especially since you can't afford to buy a car on your own!
我真不敢相信你竟然會對禮物挑三揀四，尤其是之前，你自己連一輛車都買不起。
3. Expression：look like the cat that ate canary
Explanation：To appear smug or overly pleased with oneself to others. （沾沾自喜，在別人面前顯得過於得意，忘乎所以，飄飄然）
Example：After her promotion, Janet spent the rest of the day looking like the cat that ate the canary.
珍妮特升職後，整天都是一副自鳴得意的樣子。
My friend didn't listen to my advice and he bet twenty dollars on the horse. Why, I couldn't believe my eyes! The horse won by a nose and my friend came back with the two thousand bucks he'd just won, looking like the cat that ate the canary.
我的朋友沒有聽我的勸告，在那個馬身上壓了二十美元。我真是難以相信我的眼睛——那匹馬跑得快了一點點就贏了，所以我那朋友拿了他剛贏的二千塊美元回來，顯得得意非凡。
情景對話：
A：Since his promotion to manager, John looks like the cat that ate canary.
自從他提升爲經理後，就有點忘乎所以，飄飄然了。
B：I agree with you. Sometimes, he even got drunk at the office time. As a friend of his, I must warn him of it.
我也是這麼覺得。有時候，他身在在上班時間喝酒。作爲朋友，我必須得提醒他。
A：Yes, he needs to keep this edge all the time if he doesn’t want to get fired.
是啊，你必須時刻得保持良好的狀態，除非他想被開除。
