《應用英文》形容詞或名詞成對短語 （二）

簡短說明或直截了當(brief or short)

例如:

In speaking or writing, it is always better to be short and sweet.

說話或寫作，最好簡短扼要。

When an American asked me about a controversial issue, I just gave him/her a short and sweet comment.

當老美問我一個爭議性問題，我只給他/她簡短的意見。

Not short and sweet, Mr. A's speech seemed to be somewhat boring.

A先生的演講，不很直截了當，似乎有點令人厭煩。

(當形容詞，修飾名詞speech)

slow but sure:

進展雖慢，但仍能完成。(not act fast enough, but certainly to finish)

例如:

Slow but sure, Mr. B always completes his job.

B先生雖然慢些，但都能完成他的工作。

Even though it takes Bob several weeks to write this paper, he, slow but sure, has done a good job.

Bob花了幾個星期寫這篇文章，他雖慢些，但寫得不錯。

(當形容詞，修飾he)

Don't rush Bob; he is slow but sure to do what he has promised.

不要催促Bob，他雖慢些，但會按他承諾做完工作。

(2)成對名詞﹕

這些成對的兩個名詞，有時不按字母順序排列，但不能改變。

(多半當名詞用，放在介系詞或動名詞後，有時也當名詞形容詞)

bells and whistles:

指不必要的添加物，或是華而不實點綴品

(extra things added to a product unneeded)

例如:

Some modern equipment with bells and whistles seems to make it more difficult for some people to operate.

有些現代設備，附加不必要點綴，對某些人反而感到操作困難。

It is always better to keep our lives simple without all the bells and whistles.

最好保持生活簡單，不必添加不必要的玩意兒。

From a pragmatic point of view, it would be more expensive and less efficient to add bells and whistles to any product.

從實際觀點來說，任何產品附加華而不實的點綴，既昂貴，效能亦差。

bread and butter:

主要因素，生活工具，謀生之道

(essential elements or means of livelihood)

例如:

One's job is bread and butter to one's family.

一個人的工作就是生活工具。

Earning their bread and butter is extremely difficult for the 1,300 million people in China.

中國十三億人口謀生之道非常不易。

(當名詞，做動名詞earning的受詞)

What is your bread and butter assignment this week?

你本星期主要任務是什麼?(修飾另一名詞assignment)

也可真正指麵包上塗牛油﹕

This bread and butter seems too thick for me.

(因為麵包上一定要塗牛油，所以當做集合名詞，動詞仍用單數seems)

cloak and dagger:

cloak本是掩飾，偽裝；dagger是短劍物。這裡是指秘密工作或奸謀活動

(do something secretly like a spy)

例如:

No matter what social system a country is using, it seems always to have some ongoing cloak and dagger activities.

一個國家不管採用什麼社會制度，似乎都有某些奸諜活動。

(當形容詞，修飾另一個名詞activities)

In order to keep social stability, China is concerned about political cloak and dagger plots.

為了保持社會安定，中國關心政治上的秘密陰謀。

Would it be possible for some Chinese to act as cloak and dagger agents against China for their own interest?

一些老中可能為自身利益擔任奸謀破壞中國嗎?

flesh and blood:

指人，凡人或親骨肉或家人

(human being; family member or relatives)

例如:

I am only flesh and blood; I am not in a position to help him.

我只是一位凡人；我無能為力幫助他。

Many Chinese people have been suffering all flesh and blood can suffer.

許多老中受盡凡人所能忍受的一切苦難。

(flesh and blood當名詞時，可指單複數)

It is very sad that some people killed their own flesh and blood just for money.

一些人為了金錢殺害自己親人，十分可悲。

(flesh and blood是複數=relatives)

More than 60 years ago, it would have been wonderful if people in Taiwan had been allowed to visit their own flesh and blood in China.

六十年前，如果允許台灣人民探訪他們的大陸親人，那該多好啊!

(這是假設語態與過去事實相反)

(不能照字母順序寫成:blood and flesh)

flotsam本是指船沉後在水面飄流物；jetsam也指東西丟在海上飄浮在水面或沖到岸上的船隻殘骸或雜物。這兩個字意義相似，用來描寫許多不要的東西。(stuff discarded)

例如:

Some people feel that the Internet contains a lot of flotsam and jetsam.

有些人認為網路上包括許多雜七雜八的東西。

When my daughter moves, she will give her flotsam and jetsam to the Salvation Army.

我女兒搬家時，她將把不要的東西送給救世軍。

After the tsunami occurred, there was much flotsam and jetsam.

地震海嘯發生後，就有許多飄浮在水面或沖到岸上的殘骸和雜物。

(flotsam和jetsam都是單數，不能加s，連在一起，是指一個不可數的東西，故動詞也用單數was)

hammer and tongs:

hammer是錐子或擊錘；tong是鉗子(用做單複數)連在一起指竭盡全力或盡力而為。(with all strength or energy; forcefully)

多半用to go at (something) hammer and tongs

例如:

If you want to reach your goal, you have to go at it hammer and tongs.

假如你想達到你的目標，你要盡力而為。

(it指goal)

Tens of millions of Chinese people are going at work hammer and tongs hoping that China will soon become a respected nation.

千千萬萬老中勁頭十足地工作，盼望中國很快成受人尊敬的國家。

To benefit my readers in learning English, I have been trying with hammer and tongs(efforts) to write decent articles.

為了協助我的讀者學習英語，我竭盡全力寫些像樣的文章。

heart and soul:

全心全意；或所有的感情與熱愛

(with all one's feelings and affections)

多半用to put heart and soul into(something)

例如:

If you do something with a labor of love, you can spontaneously put your heart and soul into it.

假如你出於自己喜愛心甘情願做事，你就會自動地全心投入。

So long as he puts his heart and soul into this project, he will see sweet fruits.

只要他能全心全意投入這項計劃，他就能見到甜蜜的果實。

Over the past 13 years, I have been putting heart and soul into my writings for the W.J. Weekly.

過去十三年來，我竭誠地為世界周刊寫稿。

以上三句，都當名詞用，有時也當副詞用:

Many politicians always say that they will serve the people heart and soul.

許多政客常說他們要全心全意為人民服務。(修飾動詞serve)

mover and shaker:

有影響力，有權勢的人(多半指某一特別領域)

(a powerful and influential person)

例如：

Mr. A has been a mover and shaker in the computer field.

在電腦領域，A先生很具權威。

Being a mover and shaker, Mr. Chen acts in a snobbish manner.

陳先生很有權勢，顯得神氣巴拉，

By the influence of his mover and shaker father in government. Mr. Wang can easily get a promotion.

藉著他老爸在政府裡的權勢影響，王先生很容易獲得升級。

(也可寫成：mover-and-shaker，當形容詞修飾名詞father)

neck and neck:

指勝負不相上下，並駕齊驅，難分高低(too close to see which side is winning)

本指horse racing，兩馬的頸項(neck)拼在一起很難分辨。= nip and tuck

例如：

The two candidates are (running) neck and neck in the election campaign.

兩位候選人的競選活動不相上下。

The competition in the U.S. in developing a more powerful computer seems to be neck and neck.

美國發展更大功能的電腦競爭，勝負難辨。

The national math test between these two schools is neck and neck in scores.

這兩所學校的全國數學比賽分數，難分高低。

It is nip and tuck who will win the game.

這場比賽誰能勝很難分辨。

rack and ruin:

指一塌糊塗，一團糟或衰敗。(fall apart; become decayed)

這兩個字都有毀滅意思，用在一起，加重語氣。rack是 wrack的變體，所以 rack = wrack。

多半都用go to rack and ruin = go to wrack and ruin

例如：

With his dishonesty, Mr. Chen's reputation has gone to rack and ruin.

陳先生不誠實，他的名聲已經一塌糊塗。

Shortly after his father's death, Jack's business went to rack and ruin.

Jack 父親去世後，生意一團糟。

If you are not careful enough about what you are doing, you will likely go to rack and ruin.

假如你不小心做事，你就會失敗。