中国人在美国：口语表达也要入乡随俗（03）

11. A peeking Tom

When small children peek through fences or into windows，they are probably just being curious。When a grown man does the same thing，it is often because he has other motives-and they aren't always innocent or respectable ones。A man snooping like that is a a peeking Tom，"The neighbors have called the police，They are certain there is a peeking Tom in the neighbourhood tonight。

Peek是窥视地意思，一个小男孩从围墙或窗户外偷看别人，可能是由于出于好奇心的驱使。但是当一个大男人做出同样的举动时，他就可能有猥亵的念头。我们称这样的人叫”Peeking Tom“。”邻居们都打电话报警，说今天晚上有个偷窥狂在附近出没!

peek / pi:k; pik/ v [I, Ipr] ~ (at sth) look quickly and often secretively (at sth) 匆匆地(常为秘密地)看(某物); 偷看; 窥视: * No peeking! 禁止窥视! * peek over the fence 向篱笆那边瞥一眼 * peek at sb's diary 偷看某人的日记.

12. A WINDFALL

Many words in English began as idioms.

A windfall is one of them.

It once referred to fruit that had been blown to the frond by the wind, but has now come to mean sudden good luck--Particularly in receiving money unexpectedly.

eg: "Felix won some money in the lottery and got a welcome windfall."

(那这个也算吧?)

13. John

John在美国算是大众化的名字，除了我们实验室又一个John外，每次上德文课，当老师叫一声John来回答问题时候，此时教室里又好几声回应。

一天，我有事情找隔壁实验室的Albert，找了半天，也不见他的踪影。正好看到Chuck在聚精会神的做试验。我问他有没有看到Albert, Chuck忙的头也不抬用手往外一指说：“Check the john。”我想他八成太忙没有听清楚，就在重复了一遍，并且强调我要找的是Albert，不是John。

Chuck抬头错愕的看了我一眼，干脆停下了手里的实验，说：“Follow me。”我们两个走到实验室外，chuck指着不远处的厕所说：“Albert is in the john。”

这是，Albert正好从厕所出来，一时间我和Chuck不禁相视大笑，我也知道了，John除了用作人名之外，竟然还是厕所的代号!

14.吹horn

大卫和我是搭档，同一室工作，他颇得公司赏识。

一天，经理叫我请大卫去办公室走一趟。不料大卫头也不抬就答道：“I don't blow my horn。”

办公室那里有horn(号角，喇叭)呢?我只好将原话象经理复述。不料他说：“Then you blow for him。”当我发呆不语时候，他解释说：总公司派人来了解大卫，想表彰他。

我明白了，就一五一十地介绍了大卫，给他吹了一次“horn”。

15.Egghead...

星期天，我们到朋友Helen家看录像带。她的弟弟正在电脑旁打报告，抬头向我们打了一声招呼后，完全不受干扰的又继续埋头工作。

Helen说：“我们看我们的电影，不必管他，he is such an egghead!”“鸡蛋脸?不会吧!我觉得他应该算是方面大耳的国字脸呀!“我如此的回答。

看我一本正经的模样，大家都笑了起来。原来，Egghead是指那些有呆气的读书人或者爱讲道理的知识分子，和什么脸形，面相都无关系!

egghead n (infml derog 口, 贬) very intellectual person 很有学问的人:

* The eggheads at the university know nothing about business. 大学的饱学之士对做生意一窍不通.