与“借口”有关的英语说法

2014-08-30 15:23阿卡索英语

在正式讲解之前,我们来先看两句话:

 

(一):电影《逍遥法外》

I have a note to miss fifth and sixth period today. Doctor's appointment.(我今天第56两节课要请假去看医生。)

解析:这里的note指“请假条”,美式英语中常用''excuse'',英式英语中常用''sick note''

 

(二):美剧《老爸老妈浪漫史》

Fake emergency? That’s the lamest, most pathetic cop-out in the book.(骗人的紧急情况啊?那可是史上最蹩脚最牵强的借口了。)

解析:这里的cop-out指“借口”,是口语的说法,书面语不能用这个,得用excuse

 

以此为契机,这一讲来讲下excuse的用法。

 

1. 与动词的搭配:找借口的几种说法

     make up/ think up/ invent an excuse: 编个理由,找个借口

例:

I made up some excuses about my car breaking down. (我编了些借口说我车坏了。)

We'd better think up an excuse, fast! (我们最好编个理由,赶紧的!)

     make excuses for somebody/something: 找借口开脱

例:

His mother is always making excuses for his son's behavior. (他母亲总为自己儿子的行为找理由来开脱。)

     use something as an excuse: 把……作为理由

例:

She never complained or used her illness as an excuse. (她从不抱怨,也不把生病作为理由。)

     look for an excuse:找借口

例:

I began to look for excuses to avoid seeing him. (我开始找借口避免见他。)

     give an excuse: 找借口说给某人听

例:

I'll have to give my boss some kind of excuse. (我得找些借口说给我的老板。)

believe/accept an excuse:

例:

She didn't believe his excuse for one minute.(她根本不相信他的理由。)

     have no excuse: 没有理由

例:

Companies have no excuse for breaking the law. (公司没有理由触犯法律。)

 

2. 与形容词的搭配:好借口、烂借口、蹩脚的借口……该怎么说?

     a good excuse: 好借口/好理由

例:

A sunny day is a good excuse to go to the beach. (正好趁晴天去海边。)

     a wonderful excuse: 很棒的理由

例:

A wedding is a wonderful excuse to buy a new outfit. (趁着婚礼,正好买套新衣服。)

备注:wonderfulgood更进一步,means ''very good''

     a reasonable/plausible excuse:=one that other people will believe可信的理由

例:

If your train was canceled, it was a perfectly reasonable excuse.(如果你那趟列车被取消了,这个理由就太完美了。)

     a legitimate/valid excuse: 合情合理的理由

例:

He didn't have a legitimate excuse for being late. (他没有为自己的迟到给出合理的解释。)

备注:legitimate/valid=fair, reasonable

     the perfect excuse: 完美的理由/借口

例:

The phone call gave me the perfect excuse to leave. (这通电话给了我完美的借口离场。)

     a feeble/flimsy/weak excuse:=one that is difficult to believe不足信的借口

例:

John muttered some feeble excuses about having a headache. (约翰嘟囔着头疼这种不可信的借口。)

     a pathetic/lame excuse:=very weak蹩脚、非常不可信的理由

例:

That's the most pathetic excuse I've ever heard. (这是我听过的最蠢的借口。)

     the usual excuse/ the same old excuse 老生常谈的借口,老招儿

例:

He made the usual excuse for not coming. (他又用老一套借口来解释自己没来的原因。)

Whenever the trains are late, it's always the same old excuse.(每次列车晚点,原因都一样,老生常谈。)

 

总结一下,上面的“借口”可以分成3类(按程度不同记忆):

 

 

好借口

a good excuse

非常好

a wonderful excuse

 

合理、可信

a reasonable/plausible excuse, a legitimate/valid excuse

完美

the perfect excuse

 

         烂借口

不足信

a feeble/flimsy/weak excuse

蹩脚、非常不可信

a pathetic/lame excuse

        

         老借口

老生常谈

the usual excuse/ the same old excuse

 

3.相关词组

use every excuse in the book:=use every possible excuse 找尽一切借口

例:

He used every excuse in the book to avoid seeing the doctor.(他找尽一切借口不去看医生。)

at the slightest excuse:=for any reason, however unimportant 找各种(无足轻重的)理由

例:

She came to our house at the slightest excuse.(她找了各种各样鸡毛蒜皮的理由来我们家。)

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