1. to stem the tide of sth. 遏制、阻挡
stem作为名词是主干、茎之意;在这个片语中它是个动词,意思为阻止、阻挡或遏制。 Tide为潮汐、潮流或趋势;故「阻止某事的浪潮」即为「遏止、阻挡某事的增加与扩散」。
例句:We must take action to stem the tide of plastic junk.
(我们必须要采许行动,以遏止愈来愈多的塑胶垃圾。)
2. to give someone the cold shoulder 故意冷落…、有意怠慢…
这个成语的意思为「以不友善的方式或态度,刻意忽略、忽视某人」。
例句:I thought she really liked me, but the next day she gave me the cold shoulder.
(我以为她很喜欢我,但隔天她却故意冷落我。)
3. to stay the course 坚持到底
course为过程之意,这个片语意思为「即使在困难时,依然持续做某事直到完成」,即为「坚持到底」。
例句:She interviewed dieters who had failed to stay the course to find out why they had given up.
(她访问了半途而废的减肥者,想找出他们放弃的原因。)
4. to fall foul of sb./sth. 与…产生分歧/违反(规则或法律)
foul为犯规之意,名词,这个片语用于某人上意思为「不同意某人、与某人产生分歧」;用于某事上则为「无意地违反了规定」。
例句:Things were going well till she fell foul of the director.
(在与主管产生分歧之前,她的工作进展得很顺利。)
Manufacturers may fall foul of the new government guidelines.
(生产者可能会违反政府的新指导原则。)
5. to go off the rails 行为不轨
rail为轨道之意,此成语意思是「偏离轨道、行为开始变坏」。
例句:He went off the rails in his first year at university.
(他刚上大学第一年行为就开始出轨。)
6. to have what it takes 具有成功的特质、条件
这个成语中的it,即指广义的「成功」这件事,无论是在工作上或社会上取得成功,皆适用。
例句:She doesn’t have a college degree, but I think she has what it takes to do the job.
(她没有大学文凭,但我认为她具有做这份工作所需的特质。)