英语口语练习小对话 第826期:听天书

Subject : It was all Greek to me.

第一， 迷你对话

A: I am fond of modern poetry. Would you like to know my theories about it? Let me explain it to you.

我好喜欢现代诗歌啊，对此我形成了自己的理论，想不想听啊，我跟您说吧。

B: It was all Greek to me.

我对此一窍不通。

第二， 地道表达

be Greek to sb.

1. 解词释义

Be Greek to sb. 字面意思是“对于某人来说都是希腊语”，引申为某人“一窍不通”“完全不懂”的意思，相当于beyond one’s understanding。

这个短语源于出自其莎士比亚的名剧Julius Caesar。西塞罗要告诉他的朋友凯撒就要被杀死了，可当时凯撒在场。为了保密，西塞罗就用希腊语对他的朋友讲了这件事。参与这一谋杀计划的吉亚斯卡曾经听到过这一计划。后来，对这一计划表示关心但又不知具体内情的人就去问吉亚斯卡听到了什么。吉亚斯卡巧妙地回答："For my own part, it was Greek to me."，表示他完全不知道西塞罗说的是什么。

2. 拓展范例

e.g. My son is studying physical chemistry but it's all Greek to me.

我儿子正研究物理化学，但我对此一窍不通。

e.g. Mary is a very famous scientist but literature is all Greek to him.

Mary 是位著名的科学家，但对文学却一窍不通。

e.g. The researcher tried to explain how the machine worked but it was all Greek to me.

研究员一个劲地解释那台机器是如何运行的，但我还是一窍不通。

第三， 咬文嚼字

1. be fond of：喜欢，喜爱

e.g. He seemed fond of her in a strictly professional way.

他似乎只是出于职业缘故而喜欢她。

e.g. She had become so fond of him, almost against her better judgement.

虽然明知不对，她还是深深喜欢上了他。

2. would like to do：想做…..，愿意做…...

e.g. I'll behave toward them as I would like to be treated.

我会以希望别人对待我的方式来对待他们。

e.g. They would like to hand over their financial affairs to another body.

他们想把自己的财务移交给另一个机构管理。

3. know about…：熟悉，了解，知道

e.g. Nothing in Germany happens that he does not approve and know about.

德国的事务他没有不管的，也没有不知道的。

e.g. Have you ever had any heart trouble that you know about?

你知道你得过心脏病吗？