上次我们学了几个由shot这个关键词发展而来的习惯用语,今天接着学几个。第一个是:like a shot。上次提到shot这个词最普通的意思是开枪射击,而名词shot可以指子弹。人人知道出膛的子弹速度有多快,所以like a shot一定有“象子弹一样飞快”的意思。好,我们听个例子。
例句-1:You ought to see Pete when he hears me open the door of the fridge. He's there like a shot, almost before the light goes on inside the fridge. And he gives me this sad look like he hasn't had anything to eat for a week and is starving.
显然这里的习惯用语like a shot用来描绘象子弹出膛一样飞快地行动。这个习惯用语沿用至今有两百来年 了。它最初用于火器枪支开始被广泛使用的年代。
今天要学的第二个习惯用语是:call the shots。Call,个词最普通的意思是呼唤。这个习惯用语起源于五十多年前,根据专家的推测call the shots最早出现在二次世界大战期间部队的打靶场,成千上万的新兵在那里接受射击训练。他们对着五十米外或者更远处的靶子开火,当新兵练习射击的时候。
另外有一名士兵负责用望远镜观察靶子,然后告诉打枪的新兵他击中了目标的什么部位,以便指导新兵改进技能。这就是call the shots当年的出典。
好,我们通过下面的例子来试着琢磨call the shot这个习惯用语如今在实际应用中是什么意思吧。说话的人要告诉我们:当他公司的经理得病必须住院几星期的时候,公司在人事方面作出了什么安排。
例句-2:When our boss, Ms. Philips, had to go to the hospital she asked Joe Greene to take over and call the shots. So he's making all of the business decisions, running the company and supervising all the rest of us in our daily work.
例句-4:If I was losing my job anyhow, at least I had the pleasure of telling my boss what I really thought of him. My parting shot was 'Never again will I work for a guy as stupid and lazy as you are - I'm glad to be getting out of this place!'