今天要学的习惯用语都包括这个关键词: field。Field这个词一个普通的意思是野外或田野。今天要学的第一个习惯用语是:have a field day。刚才说过field最普通的意思是野外,所以a field day早在十八世纪中期出现时,它的原始意义就是军队特定在野外进行演习的日子。
从十九世纪早期开始,a field day开始扩大应用范围,也可以用来指平民百姓的户外活动了。后来它更进一步扩展意义,用来指特别愉快的经历或者时刻,也可以是举办某种特定活动的日子。
我们来听个例子,这段话是关于轰动全美的足球明星O. J. Simpson涉嫌谋杀案的审理。
例句-1:These days Court TV Cable is having a field day with the O. J. Simpson trial. It has the exclusive right to televise all the court hearings so other TV channels have to depend on them.
由于O. J. Simpson是闻名全美的足球明星,他涉及的谋杀案轰动了举国上下,新闻界争相报道。这样说来,法庭有线电视得到独家电视转播权,那可真是个大显身手的机会,因此这里的习惯用语have a field day意思就是大显身手。
我们再听个也用了have a field day这个习惯用语的例子。这是丈夫在说自己的妻子。
例句-2:Now that our business is picking up, my wife is having a field day buying new things for our house. You know, it was her idea to spend all that money on a big new place, but now luckily we can afford it.
现在他太太终于如愿以偿了;在高高兴兴地为她的新房子添置东西。所以他说:my wife is having a field day buying new things for our house。意思显然是:我太太正心满意足地在为家里添置新用具。Have a field day这个习惯用语在这儿可以解释为:感到心满意足、得其所哉。
今天要学的第二个习惯用语是:field a team。在field a team这个习惯用语里,field当动词用了。它原本的意思是把一群人派上场开展某种行动,包括战斗或者运动比赛等,但是现在field a team这个习惯用语有更广泛的用途,可以应用在私人企业或者政府机构的业务中。
例句-3:Barbara is fielding a new team of decent, very competent people. She really knows what was wrong in the company. After all she was one of the victims of the old guard who ran it before.
例句-4:The soccer coach is fielding a new team of girls now, after his success with boys' teams the last few years. Can you believe it? - there were so many applicants from the girls that the places are filled up!