單詞背后的故事

“單詞背后的故事”是一個電臺節(jié)目，通過講故事和舉例子，讓英語學習者更系統(tǒng)地了解到英語習語的意思與用法。當然，要學以致用才能真正掌握這些習語哦。上期我們?yōu)榇蠹医榻B了與數(shù)字“1”有關的習語，本期繼續(xù)為同學們帶來與其它數(shù)字有關的詞組。記得將兩期所學的習語匯總哦。Ready? Go!

Today， I will tell about expressions using other numbers.

Some problems are difficult to solve， but there are a lot of number expressions that could help. For example， if we 1)put two and two together， we might come up with the right answer. We know that 2)two heads are better than one. It is always better

to work with another person to solve a problem.

Sometimes， 3)there are no two ways about it. Some problems have only one solution. You cannot 4)be of two minds over this.

But with any luck， we could solve the problem 5)in two shakes of a lamb’s tail. We could have our answers quickly and easily. Sometimes we can 6)kill two birds with one stone. That is， we can complete two goals with only one effort or action. But we must remember that 7)two wrongs don’t make a right. If someone does something bad to you， you should not do the same to him.

If you are going out with your girlfriend or

boyfriend， you do not want another friend to go along on your date， you can just say to your friend， “8)Two’s company， three’s a crowd.”

When I was a young child in school， I had to learn the 9)three R’s. These important skills are reading， writing

and arithmetic. These three words do not all start with the letter R， but they have the sound of R. My teachers used to 10)give three cheers when I did well in math. They gave praise and approval for a job well done.

Some of my friends were confused

and did not understand their school work. They were 11)at sixes and

sevens. In fact， they did not care if they finished high school. They saw little difference between the two choices. 12)Six of one， half a dozen the other， that was their position. But they were really happy when they completed their studies and graduated from high school. They were in 13)Seventh

heaven. They were 14)on cloud nine.

15)Nine times out of ten students who do well in school find good jobs. Some work in an office doing the same things every day at 16)nine-to-five jobs. You do not have to 17)dress to the nines or wear your best clothes for this kind of work.

Last year， one of my friends

applied for a better job at her office. I did not think she would get it. I thought she had 18)a hundred to one shot at the job. Other people at her office thought her chances were 19)a million to one. One reason was that she had been caught catching 20)forty winks at the office. She slept at her desk for short periods during the day. But her supervisor appointed her to the new job at 21)the eleventh hour， at the very last minute. I guess her lucky number came up.

Notes

1) put two and two together 根據(jù)事實推理

2) two heads are better than one 兩個臭皮匠勝過一個諸葛亮，兩人智慧勝一人

3) there are no two ways about it. (There is only one way to solve it.)別無他法

4) be of two minds 左右搖擺，拿不定主意

5) in two shakes of a lamb’s tail 立刻

6) kill two birds with one stone 一石二鳥，一箭雙雕

7) two wrongs don’t make a right 兩個錯誤不等于一個對

8) two’s company， three’s a crowd. 兩人成伴，三人不歡。

9) three R’s 三R，小學所教的閱讀（reading）、寫作（writing）和算術（arithmetic）等基礎課

10) give three cheers (to sb.) 祝賀，為……歡呼

11) at sixes and sevens 亂七八糟

12) six of one， half a dozen the other 半斤八兩，一模一樣

13) Seventh heaven 七重天，極樂世界

14) on cloud nine 極快樂，狂喜

15) nine times out of ten 十有八九，大抵

16) nine-to-five job 朝九晚五的工作

17) dress to the nines穿著光鮮華麗，打扮得漂亮

18) a hundred to one 百分之一，可能性極大

19) a million to one 百萬分之一，可能性極小

20) forty winks（口）白天小睡

21) the eleventh hour 最后一刻，危急之時