“易”談

小編Tips:這篇文章語速較慢、發音清晰，用簡單生動的語言來解釋日常生活中出現的各種俗語、固定表達，是用英文學英文的最好素材。建議在精聽之后進行逐字逐句的聽寫，可鍛煉讀者的聽寫能力。

Every people has its own way of saying things， its own special expressions. Some of these expressions are easy to understand. The words create a picture in your mind.

As easy as falling off a log is one such expression. It describes a job that does not take much effort. If you ever tried to walk on a fallen tree log， you understand what the expression means. It is easier to fall off the log than to stay on it. The expression is often used today. For example， you might hear a student say to her friend that her spelling test was “as easy as falling off a log”.

There are several other expressions that mean the same thing. And their meaning is as easy to understand as “falling off a log”. One is， easy as pie. Nothing is easier than eating a piece of sweet， juicy pie， unless it is a piece of cake.

“Piece of cake” is another expression that means something is extremely easy to do. A friend might tell you that his new job was a “piece of cake”.

Another expression is as easy as shooting fish in a barrel. It is hard to imagine why anyone would want to shoot fish in a barrel. But， clearly， fish in a barrel would be much easier to shoot than fish in a stream. In fact， it would be as easy as “falling off a log”.

Sometimes， things that come to us easily， also leave us just as easily. In fact， there is an expression—easy come， easy go—that recognizes this. You may win a lot of money in a lottery， then spend it all in a few days. Easy come， easy go.

When life itself is easy， when you have no cares or problems， you are on Easy Street. Everyone wants to live on that imaginary street.

Another “easy” expression is to go easy on a person. It means to treat a person kindly or gently， especially in a situation where you might be expected to be angry with him. A wife might urge her husband to “go easy on” their son， because the boy did not mean to wreck the car.

If it is necessary to borrow some money to fix the car， you should look for a friend who is an easy touch. An “easy touch” or a “soft touch” is someone who is kind and helpful. He would easily agree to lend you the money.

And one last expression， one that means “do not worry or work too hard”. Try to keep away from difficult situations. Take it easy until we meet again.

●大家都知道，“log”就是圓木。在一段圓圓的木頭上行走并不是一件容易的事，大多數人走個一兩步就會從上面掉下來。因此“as easy as falling off a log”也就用來說明某事很容易做到，就像從圓木上掉下來那么容易。“as easy as falling off a log”也作“as easy as rolling off a log”，這兩個短語在日常生活中應用得相當廣泛。假如你不做什么準備就通過了考試，你就可以說:“The test was as easy as falling off a log.”(這次考試太容易了。)

●英語中常用“as X as Y”的結構，Y一般是常見的事物，用Y來形容X，形象生動，簡單明了。例如這個短語“(as) easy as pie”。眾所周知，pie是西方人最喜歡的甜點之一。在這個短語中，“pie”的“easy”并不體現在它的制作過程，而在于人們品嘗它時感受到的舒適和享受(ease and enjoyment)?！?as) easy as pie”這個短語多見于美式英語中。

●表示“容易的、輕松的”意思的短語，大家最熟悉的莫過于“piece of cake”這個表達方式了。聰明的讀者一定發現了，“piece of cake”和上面的“(as) easy as pie”在表達容易至極、易如反掌的意思上有異曲同工之妙。cake和pie都是西式點心，也同樣由人們享用蛋糕或餡餅時的舒適愉悅而引申出“easy”(容易)的含義。

●“as easy as shooting fish in a barrel”再次沿用了“as X as Y”的模式?！皊hooting fish in a barrel”可從字面上理解，即“向桶里的魚射擊”。桶的容量如此之小，命中率自然就高啦，那還不是易如反掌嗎?另外，“as easy as shooting fish in a barrel”=“like shooting fish in a barrel”。例如:Jane’s a good mechanic. Changing a tire is as easy as shooting a fish in a barrel for her.(簡是個好機械師，換輪胎對她來說是小事一樁。)

●“Easy come， easy go.”——“來得快，去得快”可謂是言簡意賅的真理。容易得到的東西，也容易失去。這句話被現在抱著“簡單生活、簡單愛情”信念的時尚一族奉為名言，認為事業、愛情等來去匆匆，不必太介懷。其實“Easy come， easy go.”這句話也帶有一定的警誡意味——容易得到的東西，往往也最容易失去，所以還是要珍惜擁有的東西啊。

●人生的道路有許多條，但不是每個人都能走上“Easy Street”。“Easy Street”并不是字面理解的“容易的路”的意思，而是指一個人無需擔心金錢、生活無憂，跟“康莊大道”有相似的意味。

●“to go easy on a person”意為“對某人客氣點、寬容以待”，尤指在這個人做了令人生氣或比較嚴重的事情時。舉個例子來說，如果有個小孩把你家的窗戶玻璃打破了，你又不好跟小孩子發脾氣，這個時候只能“go easy on him”啦。

●“an easy touch”和“a soft touch”同義，都表示對別人的要求有求必應、容易被說服的人。例如:Her Dad’s an easy touch; he’s always giving her money.(她爸爸對她真是有求必應，總給她錢花。)

●學了上面這么多關于表達“easy”的短語，你會不會擔心自己消化不了呢?Take it easy——別著急，放輕松!