I must improve my figure.
要形容某女生的身材很好,可以说:She's got a great figure. Figure一般可解作‘数字’,在这里则指‘身材’、‘体态’。所以 I must improve my figure.是指‘我一定要改善我的体态’。时下流行减肥、瘦身,可自我形容说:I must lose some weight.(我一定要减去重量)/ I must drop some pounds.(我一定要掉些磅数)。想要强化体格,可以说:I must tone up。要形容女生的体态很好,也可说:She's in good shape,shape虽可解‘形态/形状’,但这里是指‘身体曲线’。
对 话 Gordon: You look so miserable. Why the long face? Helen: Oh, the usual. The biggest thing is I must improve my figure. Gordon: Well, you're only a little bit fat. You could try the gym, a beauty salon, an aerobics class, dieting, giving up the booze. The list is endless. Helen: You are so rude. I'm not fat at all. I meant I must improve my bank balance. I was thinking of taking another job. 戈登: 你看来很伤心,为什么愁眉苦脸呢? 海伦: 噢,一向如此。最大件事是我一定要改善我的数字。 戈登: 嗯,你只是有点胖,你可以做健身、去美容院、跳健康舞、节食、戒酒等等,多不胜数的方法。 海伦: 你真无礼,我一点也不胖。我是说我定要改善银行结存,我在想找另一份工作。
戈登听见海伦说:I must improve my figure,就大发议论:You're only a bit fat. Why the long face? Try giving up the booze.(你只是胖了一点,为什么愁眉苦脸呢?试试戒酒吧)。
说女人胖,婉转客气的用语是plump。这个字和中文的‘丰满’差不多。She is plumper than before即‘她比从前丰满了’。戈登说海伦a bit fat而不说a bit plump,所以海伦斥责他没礼貌:You're so rude。
A long face是英文成语,常和动词pull连用,to pull a long face直译是‘拉长面孔’,即‘愁眉苦脸’,例如:Don't pull a long face.(不要愁眉苦脸)。
Booze是俚语,出自荷文busen(纵酒),作名词是指酒,特别是烈酒;作动词则是指豪饮,例如:(1) He brought home a bottle of booze.(他带了一瓶酒回家)。2) He spent the afternoon boozing in the bar.(他整个下午在酒吧里喝酒)。
Figure可以指身材,一般是女性的身材;但也可以指数字或金额,例如:(1) Gold is selling at a high figure.(金价现在很高)。(2) The unemployment figure has improved.(失业数字改善了)。当然,一般说I must improve my figure,意思都是‘我要身材窈窕一点’;海伦用这句话来说‘要增加银行储蓄’,难怪戈登误会。She has a great figure是说‘她身材十分窈窕’,Half an hour of aerobic exercise every day has removed pounds and inches from her figure.则是说‘她每天做有氧运动半小时,身材变得窈窕多了’。
作者:古德明(香港)
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