第一,迷你對話
A: I have racked my brain. I still have no ideaabout how to spend Valentine’s day.
我絞盡腦汁,仍然想不出如何過情人節(jié)。
B: Just take her to a high ranking restaurant andpresent her with a bunch of flowers.
那就帶上她去一個(gè)高級飯店,然后送她一束花。
第二,地道表達(dá)
rack one’s brain
1. 解詞釋義
Rack one’s brain中的rack是“壓榨”和“折磨”的意思,brain是大腦。Rack one’s brain直譯為壓榨、折磨某人的大腦,其實(shí)就是“絞盡腦汁”“不遺余力”等意思。用它來表示用盡心思去考慮某事。因?yàn)橛帽M心思,當(dāng)然就飽受精神上的折磨。其英文解釋為:to cause great mental suffering,to torture brain by means ofthe rack。
2. 拓展范例
e.g. When I went to pick up my girlfriend, there was a note on the door. She wrote that shedidn't want to see me anymore. Huh?! How could our relationship be over? I've been rackingmy brain trying to recall everything I've done and said lately. Instead of making me struggle,couldn't she at least let me know how I upset her?
我去接我女朋友,發(fā)現(xiàn)門上有張條。條上說,她不想跟我交往下去了。我們怎么會就這么結(jié)束了呢?我絞盡腦汁,回想最近自己是不是做錯(cuò)了什么事,說錯(cuò)了什么話。她至少可以告訴我我什么地方得罪了她,讓我不用這么百思不得其解。
e.g. He had racked his brain but he could not be able to work out the answer to the problem.
他已經(jīng)絞盡腦汁了,但是還是無法相處這個(gè)問題的答案。
e.g. I rack my brain trying to remember the answer .
我絞盡腦汁想答案。
e.g. I've been racking my brain trying to recall where we put the key.
我絞盡腦汁回想我把鑰匙放在哪里。
第三,咬文嚼字
1. have no idea about something:不知道做……
e.g. If you have no idea about it, consult a dictionary, please.
要是你對這個(gè)問題不清楚, 請你查字典得了。
e.g. I have no idea about her visit except that she is likely to be away for several months .
我對她的訪問情況一無所知,只知道她可能外出好幾個(gè)月。
2. present sb. with sth.:贈送某人某物
e.g.They presented a sum of money to the college in memory of their son.
他們向?qū)W院贈送了一筆款項(xiàng)以紀(jì)念他們的兒子。
e.g. Colleagues presented the retiring chairman with a cheque.
同事們把一張支票交給退休的主席。
3. a bunch of:一束……,一捆……,一群
e.g. He produced from his pocket a bunch of keys.
他從口袋里掏出一串鑰匙。
e.g. Miss White received a bunch of flowers from her admirer.
懷特小姐收到愛慕者所送的一束花。
e.g. His friends are just a bunch of hooligans.
他的朋友們只是一群流氓。
4. a high ranking restaurant:高檔酒店 spend the Valentine’s day:過情人節(jié)