独立自主的表达

　　9 to stand on one's own two feet

　　To stand on one's own two feet 的意思恐怕不难猜到。一个人如果能站稳脚跟的话，他就一定能独立自主，靠自己的力量来办事。我们下面要举的一个例子是一位父亲担心他的儿子吸毒或酗酒，所以在劝告他的儿子：

　　Son, somebody may try to get you to smoke marijuana or drink, just to fit in with the crowd. But I hope you can stand on your own two feet and say no.

　　儿子呀，有的人为了要你合群也许会劝你喝酒或吸毒。但是我希望你能够独立自主，拒绝他们的引诱。

　　又如：Bill Brown has managed to stay in Congress now for twenty years. The voters don't always agree with him but they really like the way he stands on his own feet and makes his own decisions on which way to vote, regardless of pressures from all the lobbyists.

　　比尔·布朗在国会当议员已经二十年了。选民们不一定都同意他的观点，但是他们倒很欣赏他在对各种提案投票时的那种独立自主精神。不管那些游说者给他施加多大压力，他都按自己的决定投票。

　　10 to throw oneself at someone's feet

　　To throw oneself at someone's feet 这个俗语可以解释为：公开对某人表示爱慕。

　　比如说，一个男子在幻想自己未来的婚事，他对他的朋友说：

　　I'm still looking for the right girl to marry. And when I find her, I'll throw myself at her feet and ask her to spend the rest of her life with me.

　　我现在还在物色一个我认为合适的女孩作为我的妻子。一旦我找到了，我就要拜倒在她的石榴裙下，恳求她作为我的终身伴侣。

　　To throw oneself at someone's feet 还可以解释为：为了得到一些好处而溜须拍马，或拜倒在某人脚下。

　　下面的例子是说一个被判了罪的犯人：

　　The prisoner who has been convicted as a traitor threw himself at the feet of the judge and beg for mercy.

　　那个被定罪为叛徒的犯人拜倒在法官的面前，求他发发慈悲。

　　11 to be swept off one's feet

　　我们讲过to throw oneself at someone's feet，这是公开表示对某人的爱慕之情，或是拍马奉承、百般讨好某人。可是，被爱慕或讨好的对象往往会突然感到非常兴奋而不由自主地变得飘飘然起来。这种情景在英文里是这么说的：to be swept off one's feet，就是指一个人由于一件使他兴奋的事而感到不由自主。

　　下面我们要举的一个例子就可以看出一个人在 throwing himself at someone's feet 以后所可能产生的后果：

　　Dick was so crazy about Jane that he threw himself at her feet. Jane was swept off her feet and they're getting married next Tuesday.

　　迪克实在是爱简，他完全拜倒在她的石榴裙下。这一下使得简感到飘飘然，不由自主了。他们竟然决定下星期二就结婚。

　　这种闪电式的结婚确实有点过于匆忙。下面一个例子就是一个人在劝他的朋友不要草率从事。这也说明 to be swept off one's feet 这个俗语不一定完全适用于被爱慕的人，也可以用在其他场合：

　　Hal, I know how anxious you are to get married and start a family. But don't let yourself get swept off your feet by a pretty face: think about what you are doing before you get caught.

　　海尔，我知道你是非常急于结婚成家。但是，你不要被一张漂亮的脸弄得昏昏然的。在问题还没有发生前，你得脑子清楚一些，明白自己到底在干什么。

　　12 Don't let the grass grow under one's feet

　　像结婚这样的事确实应该慎重考虑，不能操之过急。但是有的时候，我们处理事情也不能拖拖拉拉，浪费时间。这在英文里就是：Don't let the grass grow under one's feet。从字面上来解释，这句话的意思是：不要让草在你脚底下长出来，实际上也就是说，你不要什么事也不干，浪费时间。

　　例如：Right now the house is a real bargain. Don't let the grass grow under your feet--sign the agreement today before somebody grabs it.

　　这是一个房产经纪人在对一个买主说话。他说：“现在房产价格实在是非常便宜。你不要浪费时间，最好今天就签合同，免得给别人把这栋房子抢走。”

　　Don't let the grass grow under your feet 是推销产品的人经常说的话。例如：

　　I tell you, don't let the grass grow under you feet--this is the last day of this sale and the price on this model goes up a thousand dollars tomorrow!

　　我告诉你，今天是这次减价的最后一天。这种型号的车子，明天就要上涨一千美元。所以你不要犹豫不决，浪费时间。

本文选自《北外网院》的博客，点击查看博客原文