7 colorful English idioms

Hi. Welcome back to engVid. My name's Adam. Nice to see you again. Today's lesson is about

嗨!歡迎回到engvid。我是亞當，很高興我們又見面了 ^^ 今天的課程是

idioms. Everybody loves to learn new idioms because they're used every day. Sometimes

有顏色的諺語。每個人都喜歡學習新的諺語，因為他們每天都會用。

they're a little bit hard to understand. Today, we're looking at colourful idioms, idioms

有時候諺語會有一點讓人難以理解。今天我們來看有顏色的俚語

that use colour in their expression. Before I begin, "colourful", you'll notice I used

在我們開始前，也許你已經注意到我寫了"顏色"多了一個"u"

"u". I'm Canadian, we use the "u" just like the British people. Americans use only the

我是加拿大人，我們寫"顏色"這個字時多一個u，就跟英國人一樣。美國人就只有"o"而沒有"u"

"o", no "u". I used both just to make everybody happy. So just so you understand, it's not

兩個都用，讓每個人都開心。所以為了讓你了解

a spelling mistake either way.

這並不是一個拼寫上的錯誤

Let's begin. So I have a few idioms here. The thing about idioms, they never mean what

好啦~讓我們開始。我有幾個諺語寫這裡。可能有些人從來不知道這些成語的意思

the words say; you have to actually understand what the idiom means and how to use it.

不過你會徹底了解這些成語的，並知道怎麼使用他們

So, if someone sees the world or sees a situation "through rose-tinted glasses". "Glasses" are

所以如果有人說"經由玫瑰色的眼鏡看世界" "Glasses"就是那個你帶在頭上的東西

glasses you wear on your head. "Rose-tinted", there's a little bit of a pink shade on the

"Rose-tinted"有點類似粉紅色的鏡片

glass. So you're seeing the world a little bit pinkish, like the colour of the rose.

所以當你看世界時都帶有一點粉色，就像玫瑰的顏色時

That means you're very optimistic. Even in a bad situation, you're going to see everything

就是說你非常的樂觀，就算是不好的情況，你也能認為一切都會變好

as good. You're seeing the world through rose-tinted glasses. Right? You work at a company and

就好像你戴了一副粉色的眼鏡去看這個世界，了嗎?你在一間公司工作

they're about to layoff half of the staff; half of the people are going home, no more

然後他們裁掉一半的人，一半的工作人員只能回家沒工作可做

job. And you think: "Oh, this is a great opportunity for me to find a new job and get a... advance

然後你想著"這是個很棒的轉機讓我去找新的工作，增加我的能力"

my career." So I am seeing the situation through rose-tinted glasses. I don't see the bad economy,

所以我透過玫瑰眼鏡看到這個情況，而我沒看到不好的經濟條件

I don't see the fact that I'm 55 years old and I don't have any skills except for what

我看不見我也經55歲這個事實，而我也沒有任何的除了之前工作以外的專業技能

I do in my job, but I will be okay. "Rose-tinted glasses".

但一切都沒有問題的!!""Rose-tinted glasses"

"Give someone the green light." You often hear this about governments giving the army

"給予某人綠色之光"你常常會聽到政府說"給予軍隊綠色之光以攻擊的權利"

the green light to attack. "To give the green light", to give permission. Okay? Go ahead,

"給予綠色之光"等於給予許可，了解了嗎?繼續

like a green light in traffic. You see the green light, press the gas, you go. So, for

就像是交通號誌上的綠燈，你看到燈誌變成綠色的，往前走

example: The... excuse me. The board of directors gave the CEO the green light to layoff half

讓我們舉個例子。恩.....抱歉。在前面那個某人戴著玫瑰眼鏡的例子裡

his staff, even the ones wearing rose-tinted glasses. Okay? So everybody's going home;

董事會給予董事長綠燈讓他裁員半數的員工，如何? 所以所有人回家

no more work.

沒事情可做

"With flying colors", we always add this expression to the end of an event or action. So, for

"With flying colors"，我們習慣上會用於一件事情結束之後

example: "He passed his interview with flying colours." With flying colours means very,

舉例來說"他如飛翔般的旗幟一般通過了他的面試"飛翔般的旗幟代表非常，非常成功

very successful; he did very, very well. He went to a job interview, he passed with flying

他做的非常、非常的好。他參加工作面試，就好像他揮舞著勝利的旗子

colours. He got offered the job. Okay?

他得到了這份工作，明白嗎?

If you're "tickled pink", means you're very, very happy. Like tickled, tickle, funny - right?

如果你"tickled pink"，表示你非常的開心，就好像被搔癢，戳中笑點~

You're tickled pink, you get all pink in the face, you're very happy. So, Tom's grandfather

你樂不可支，你的臉上泛著紅光，你非常的開心。

was very... was tickled pink when he found out that Tom and his wife were pregnant. Now,

當湯姆的爺爺知道湯姆他的老婆懷孕了，他樂不可支

I say: "Tom and his wife were pregnant," because it's common for couples to think of themselves

我說"湯姆和他的妻子懷孕了"因為很多 夫妻都會把懷孕當作是他們自己的事情

as pregnant, even though it's only the woman, of course.

麻~不過確實只有女性會懷孕，無庸置疑

"Paint the town red." This is a very good expression. You're studying for your English

"把城鎮塗城紅色的吧!!" 這是個很好的句子，你為了你的英文考試在啃書，對吧?

exams. Okay? You're very hard... studying very hard, very hard, very hard. You finish

你非常非常努力的學習，而英文超級超級難~~~

your exams, you're free. This weekend, you're going to go paint the town red, means you're

你終於幹掉了考試，你自由了!!! 這個周末你要去把城鎮塗城紅色

going to go party. You're going to have a very good time, you're going to spend all

代表你要去參加派對。你有一個美好的時間，你整個晚上都會喝酒

night drinking, and partying, and clubs, and dancing, and people. Have a very good time,

和狂歡、俱樂部、跳舞、朋友們。非常快樂的時光

you're going to paint the town red; do everything.

你將會大肆狂歡、做任何事 PS. 想像西班牙每年的番茄大戰

"Blue-collared worker/white-collared worker". This might be a very common expression for

"藍領工作者/白領工作者" 這是很常用的慣用語

you. "Blue-collared". So, first of all, a collar, if you have a shirt with a tie let's

"藍領" 如果你穿襯衫打領帶或沒有領帶

say or no tie. This is the collar-sorry about the tapping-you have a collar. If it's blue,

領帶的刻板顏色代表你的工作階級，如果是藍色的

means you're working in a factory or a garage; you're a mechanic or you're working in some

表示你在工廠或是車庫工作，你也許是技師或你從事需要專業技能的工作

skilled job. If you're a white-collared worker, if the colour of your collar is white, means

如果你是白領工作者，如果你的階級是白色的

you're working in an office, you're some kind of professional. Okay?

代表你在辦公室工作，有不一樣專業性

Now, if you're the type of person who "sees things in black and white" means you're very

如果你是"看事物非黑即白"的人，就是說你是個直白的人

straightforward, very simple, very direct. Maybe a little bit lacking imagination, not

非常簡單、直接。也許有一點缺乏思考的批判性

necessarily. Things are black and white; there's no grey, there's no middle ground. It's like

看事情不是黑就是白，沒有中間的灰色地帶

this or like that; no other way. Right? So you're seeing things in black and white. Everybody

不是這個就是那個，沒有其他選項，清楚嗎?所以你看事情不是黑就是白

has a... Somebody comes across a problem and some people see things as possibilities. The

恩......某人遇到一個問題，而其他人看到另一種可能性

guy with the rose-tinted glasses, he sees potential. The guy who sees things in black

那傢伙有著玫瑰粉色的眼鏡，他很樂觀。某人的想法非黑即白

and white, he thinks: "I'm out of a job, I'm in trouble." He doesn't imagine beyond that. Okay?

他就會想"我沒工作，我完蛋了!!" 他不會發現另一種可能性，了解了嗎?

So these are some very useful expressions, used every day, good idioms. You can practice

上述這些就是非常有用的慣用語，每天都會用到，你可以多多練習

using these at www.engvid.com. There's a quiz there. And, of course, ask questions. See you again.

或是到www.engvid.com，有些小測驗，當然歡迎你向我發問，下次見