#1.Work your butt off
Work your butt off: 拼命工作
“Butt”是臀部的意思,可以更加委婉地說成“behind”:
I worked my behind off for my boss. 我為老板拼命工作。
這個俚語在工作之外的其它方面也同樣適用:
She works her butt off in the kitchen.她在廚房忙得不可開交。
#2.Work for peanuts
“Peanut”花生,指很小、很少的東西:
Work for peanuts: 掙得很少
Steven liked to jokingly state that he was working for peanuts. Steven喜歡開玩笑說自己掙得很少。
#3.Work out
這個說法的應(yīng)用范圍十分廣泛:
Work something out: 解決(某個問題),想出(方案)
不僅指工作上的問題,也可以是日常生活里的其他事情:
It took me some time to work out what was causing this.我花了一些時間去想是什么導(dǎo)致了這樣的狀況。
#4.Dirty work
既可以指臟活苦活,也可以表示私下的勾當:
Dirty work: 不法行為,勾當
I'm not going to do your dirty work for you. 我才不會替你做這種勾當。
#5.Work like a charm
Charm有魔力,魔法的意思,例如“a lucky charm”幸運符。
Work like a charm: 表示立竿見影,非常奏效
怎么用:
Flattery usually works like a charm on him. 拍他的馬屁通常十分有效。
#6.A woman's work is never done
白天外出工作,晚上回家料理家務(wù),國外的女性經(jīng)常用這句話來形容自己忙碌的生活:
A woman's work is never done: 一個女人的工作永遠都做不完。
"As soon as I finish washing the breakfast dishes, it's time to start fixing lunch," she sighed."A woman's work is never done." “我剛洗完早餐的盤子,就該開始準備午餐了”她嘆氣道,“女人的活永遠都做不完。”
#7.Nice work
另一個很口語的表達:
Nice work!做得好,干得漂亮!
它可以用來稱贊所有你認為很棒的事情。當然,也可以換成挖苦的語氣,用來說反話:
Nice work, Frank, now we're going to have to rebuild this entire model from scratch. 干得好,F(xiàn)rank,現(xiàn)在我們得從草稿開始完全重建整個模型了。
#8.Keep up the good work
如果某人在工作上取得了好成績,要鼓勵他再接再厲,可以說:
Keep up the good work: 再接再厲,繼續(xù)保持
“Nice work,”said the coach.“Keep up the good work!”“干得漂亮,”教練說,“再接再厲!”
#9.All work and no play
如果你正在勸說同事和你一起去喝一杯,可以用到這句:
All work and no play (make Jack a dull boy): 只會學習不會玩,聰明的小孩也變傻
使用時也可以省略后半句:
Come out to the pub with us tonight! All work and no play.今晚和我們一起去酒吧吧!不要只工作不休息。
#10.When the cat's away the mice will play
另一個有趣的俚語:
When the cat's away the mice will play: 字面意思是“貓一不在,老鼠便跑出來做游戲”,表示沒有監(jiān)督的情況下,人們就會偷偷地做自己最喜歡做的或不被允許的事情。
這里的"cat"既可以指老板,也可以指警察、老師,甚至是妻子。
-If I leave my classroom for even a moment,I come back to find the place in chaos. 我剛離開一會兒,教室里就一片混亂。
-When the cat's away, the mice will play. 真是老虎不在家,猴子稱霸王。