由于文化上的差异,有些英文表达如果直接翻译,往往就会闹出笑话,比如今天要学习的eat one's words~
eat=吃,words=言语,eat words 就是“食言”??……这么理解就大错特错啦!
来看一下权威的解释:
eat (one's) words:To retract something that one has said.收回某人说过的话。
没错!eat words不是“食言”,而是“收回前言”的意思,我们来看两个例句:
Don't brag so much. I guarantee you will eat your words sooner or later.别说大话,我保证你迟早要收回前言,承认错误。
What he said proved wrong, so he had to eat his words.事实证明他说错了,所以他只好收回前言。
表达“收回前言”,还有一个常用的表达:
take back one's words
来看一个例句:
You cannot take back your words once they are out of your mouth.
话一旦说出口就没法收回去了。
那么问题来了,“食言”用英语该怎么说?
正确的表达是:
break one's promise/word
来看两个例句:
I will do my best not to break my promise.
我会尽量遵守我的承诺的。
She promised not to seduce my BF, but she broke her word.
她答应不抢我男朋友的,可是她食言了。
以上就是今天的内容啦
关于eat words的准确含义
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