「美国习惯用语」第一百零一讲

齐祖

to get one's back up

to scratch one's back

当一只猫生气的时候，它往往把它的背拱起来，嘴里还发出呼呼的声音，显得它随时准备施展它那爪子的威力。美国一个常用语就出自猫的这种形像。 这个常用语就是：to get one's back up。To get one's back up就是生气的意思。下面这句话是一个妻子在说他的丈夫：

例句-1: \"One thing really gets my back up -- the way my husband leaves his clothes on the bed or on the floor so I have to pick them up all the time.\"

她说：“我的丈夫总是把衣服往床上、地上乱扔，我老得把它们拣起来，真叫我生气。”

可是，妻子的批评使做丈夫的很生气。他对朋友说：

例句-2: \"And there's one thing that really gets my back up: my wife nagging at me to hang my clothes up as soon as I walk in the house at night after a hard day at the office.\"

他说：“每天在办公室辛苦地工作了一天，可是晚上一走家门，我老婆就开始唠叨，要我把衣服挂好。这实在让我生气。”

要是你觉得背上某一个地方痒痒，而你自己又抓不到。这是很难受的。在这种情况下，最好有人替你抓一下。美国人有一个普遍的说法，那就是：to scratch one's back。To scratch one's back从字面上来看就是“抓某人的背”。它的真正含义是：某人帮了你一下忙，而这个帮你忙的人也期望你下回帮他的忙。因此，to scratch one's back实际上就是：这回你帮我忙，下回我就帮你的忙。例如，一个参议员对他的高级助手说：

例句-3: \"This senator from the 11th district scratched my back when he voted for my bill to cut state income taxes, so it's my turn to do him a favor and vote for that bill for more money for roads in his district.\"

这位参议员说：“上回在投票通过我提出的有关裁减州所得税的提案时，第十一选区的参议员投了我一票，帮了我的忙。所以，现在是该我帮他忙的时候了，我得投票赞成为他的选区修建公路增加拨款的提案。”

这种现象在政客当中很普遍，但是做买卖的也要相互给好处，请听这位推销员说的话：

例句-4: \"In my business it's important to scratch each other's back. Say a customer does me a favor by giving me an extra big order. The next time he's in town I might take him out to dinner and a broadway show.\"

这位推销员说：“干我们这行，相互帮忙是很重要的。要是一位顾客订了特别大的一批货，帮了我的忙。下次他再到这个城市来的时候，我可能得请他吃晚饭和到百老汇去看演出。”

今天我们讲了两个习惯用语：\"to get one's back up\"和\"to scratch one's back\"。 To get one's back up是生气的意思；to scratch one's back是指某人帮了一下忙，帮忙的人也期待对方下回帮他的忙。

「美国习惯用语」第一百零一课就讲到这里。欢迎下次再一起来学习美国习惯用语。再见。

寻兰人

真有意思,受益非浅呀.

伊人独酌

Thanks for your examples, it help us to remember the idiom easily.

cherishie

my kitty gets his back up seeing an unacquainted dog

苦藤119

牛人

伊人独酌

引用第3楼cherishie于12-04-2007 15:05发表的 :
my kitty gets his back up seeing an unacquainted dog

You keep a kitty?

cherishie

yeah, he lives with my parents. And three years makes him a big black boy.

Days ago I also had a puppy, but he got lost someday and never came back. He is lovely, and eats whatever I give him, cabbages, noodles, water melons, rice, and even flour. Anyway, I like him, and he is gone.

伊人独酌

That's a pity!
I like pets, just I don't have time to look after them, I nearly have no time to look after myself!

cherishie

引用第7楼伊人独酌于12-05-2007 11:32发表的 :
… I nearly have no time to look after myself!

That's also a pity.
Hope you can take good care of yourself and the important things in your life.
Well we can let others to take care of the rest.

伊人独酌

Yes, I will, for the beauty!