迷你对话
A: Oh, my God. You could stop a clock.
天啊,你的脸色很差。
B: I have been sick for two weeks.
我已经病了两个星期了。
地道表达
stop a clock
1. 解词释义
Stop a clock在美国英语中用来形容一个人样子非常丑陋,难看。如果一个人生病了,特别是病得很严重的时候,他的脸色是很难看的。所以人们后来用表示样子难看的stop a clock来表示一个人“身体不舒服”的样子。对话中的“You could stop a clock. ”的意思是“你看起来很不舒服。”
2. 典型范例
e.g. Why is she still single? She must have a face that would stop a clock.
为什么她还是单身呢?她一定长得很丑。
e.g. I could stop a clock with this cold.
我感冒了,很不舒服。
e.g. The child makes a pig of himself at dinner and now could stop a clock.
那孩子在晚餐时吃得太多,现在感到很不舒服。
e.g. I could stop a clock last weekend, but I'm as right as rain now.
上周末我很不舒服,可现在完全好了。