101:get one's back up; scratch one's back



to get one's back up
to scratch one's back


当一只猫生气的时候,它往往把它的背拱起来,嘴里还发出呼呼的声音,显得它随时准备施展它那爪子的威力。美国一个常用语就出自猫的这种形像。 这个常用语就是:to get one's back up。To get one's back up就是生气的意思。下面这句话是一个妻子在说他的丈夫:

"One thing really gets my back up -- the way my husband leaves his clothes on the bed or on the floor so I have to pick them up all the time."

她说:"我的丈夫总是把衣服往床上、地上乱扔,我老得把它们拣起来,真叫我生气。"

可是,妻子的批评使做丈夫的很生气。他对朋友说:

"And there's one thing that really gets my back up: my wife nagging at me to hang my clothes up as soon as I walk in the house at night after a hard day at the office."

他说:"每天在办公室辛苦地工作了一天,可是晚上一走家门,我老婆就开始唠叨,要我把衣服挂好。这实在让我生气。"

要是你觉得背上某一个地方痒痒,而你自己又抓不到。这是很难受的。在这种情况下,最好有人替你抓一下。美国人有一个普遍的说法,那就是:to scratch one's back。To scratch one's back从字面上来看就是"抓某人的背"。它的真正含义是:某人帮了你一下忙,而这个帮你忙的人也期望你下回帮他的忙。因此,to scratch one's back实际上就是:这回你帮我忙,下回我就帮你的忙。例如,一个参议员对他的高级助手说:

"This senator from the 11th district scratched my back when he voted for my bill to cut state income taxes, so it's my turn to do him a favor and vote for that bill for more money for roads in his district."

这位参议员说:"上回在投票通过我提出的有关裁减州所得税的提案时,第十一选区的参议员投了我一票,帮了我的忙。所以,现在是该我帮他忙的时候了,我得投票赞成为他的选区修建公路增加拨款的提案。"

这种现象在政客当中很普遍,但是做买卖的也要相互给好处,请听这位推销员说的话:

"In my business it's important to scratch each other's back. Say a customer does me a favor by giving me an extra big order. The next time he's in town I might take him out to dinner and a broadway show."

这位推销员说:"干我们这行,相互帮忙是很重要的。要是一位顾客订了特别大的一批货,帮了我的忙。下次他再到这个城市来的时候,我可能得请他吃晚饭和到百老汇去看演出。"

今天我们讲了两个习惯用语:"to get one's back up"和"to scratch one's back"。 To get one's back up是生气的意思;to scratch one's back是指某人帮了一下忙,帮忙的人也期待对方下回帮他的忙。

美国习惯用语: 第一百零一课就讲到这里。欢迎下次再一起来学习美国习惯用语。再见。