信“手”拈來表達法

手，可以算是我們身體最勤勞的部位了，因此與它有關的說法與表達也特別多。中文里關于手的成語不勝枚舉，除了強調(diào)它的作用之余，也在它的美感上大做文章，如“妙手回春”、“纖纖玉手”之類，英文則更多地強調(diào)它延伸出來的意思。

The hand has been a symbol through the ages and in many cultures.

There are hundreds of expressions and combinations of words using hand in the English language. Let us examine some of the expressions that use hand.

We will get a hand in this way. To get a hand in is to begin a job， to begin to know something about it. When we learn the job completely， it will be easy for us. We will be able to do it hands down.

If we do the job well， we may end up with the upper hand. And that means to be in control， or to have gained complete understanding of a situation.

On the other hand， if the situation gets out of hand， then it is out of control. We must act quickly to regain the upper hand over these expressions.

But， wait. We still do not have the upper hand in this business.

We must consider another way of expressing praise， to hand it to someone. For example: I must hand it to you for understanding what we have discussed this far.

You can also lend a hand to someone， but without really giving up your hand. You lend a hand when you help someone. You offer them a helping hand.

If someone is kind enough to lend us a hand， then we surely do not want to bite the hand that feeds us. We do not want to repay his kindness by treating him badly.

Now， with that out of the way， we have a free hand to continue examining other hand expressions. To have a free hand in a situation is good. It means you are free to act without getting permission from someone else.

If we continue moving along， we will make progress hand over fist， or very rapidly. This expression began in the early 1700s. It reportedly comes from a sailing expression hand over hand， the way of quickly raising or lowering a sail.

Maybe you can find a friend who wants to take a hand in our project. It would have to be someone who is interested in these expressions.

Your friend may want to work hand in glove with us. That is good， because that means he wants to work as closely with us as a glove covers the hand. Of course there is a danger that he may look at our project and decide to take it in hand. That means he wants to take it over.

If that happens， we may throw up our hands because the situation seems hopeless. In fact， we may decide that it is time for us to end this project， to wash our hands of hand expressions.

#9658; 動詞短語“to get a/one’s hand in”表示著手干某事，或開始入門、了解一些事情。例如:Lisa starts to get a hand in running the company. (麗莎著手學習公司運營方面的事情。)

#9658; 不費吹灰之力，對應的英語可以用“hands down”來表示。“hands down”這一表達起源于賽馬比賽。在比賽中遙遙領先的賽馬師看到勝利在望，通常都不再勒緊韁繩，而是輕松地把手垂下來跑完比賽。因此，“hands down”延伸出“不花費功夫、輕而易舉”的意思。另外，“in a breeze”、“in a walk”也表達同樣意思，可以交替使用。

#9658;“upper hand”很好理解，即“處于上風、占有優(yōu)勢”的意思。亦作“a whip hand”。

#9658; 寫過英文作文的人對“on one hand”/“on the other hand”肯定相當熟悉。它們表示“從一方面講”/“從另一方面講”，通常用來引導一個論點的兩個方面。

#9658; 從字面上看，“out of hand”即 “在自己的手掌之外”，那還不是“失去控制”的意思?除了“out of control”之外，大家也不要忘了這個簡單明了的表達哦。

#9658; 俚語“to hand it to someone”可不是把什么東西交給某人的意思，而有稱贊、佩服、肯定某人的長處之意。有時為了加強語氣，人們會在前面加上“must/have to”等詞。例如:He really makes it. I’ll have to hand it to him.(他真的做到了，我不得不佩服他。)

#9658; “l(fā)end a hand”和“a helping hand”的“hand”不再指具體的手，而意譯為“對他人的幫助”。因此，“l(fā)end a hand”即是“向他人伸出援手”之意，你也可以說“l(fā)end a helping hand to someone else”。

#9658; “bite the hand that feeds us”，顧名思義，就是忘恩負義、恩將仇報，對來幫助自己的人反咬一口。其實，更地道的表達方式應該是“bite the hand that feeds you”。大家可千萬不要做那個“bite the hand that feeds you”的人啊!

#9658; “a free hand”，空出來的手，這里表示有自行決定、處理事情的權力，不需得到別人允許。

#9658; “hand over fist”如今表示快速而平穩(wěn)地做某件事情。但它卻是由“hand over hand”發(fā)展而來。這兩組短語的典故出自帆船航運的年代，當時水手們必須攀援繩索去擺弄高高掛起的船帆，以此來控制船航行的方向和速度。他們兩手交替，一只手放在另一只手(后來發(fā)展成一只手放在另一只攢成拳頭的手)上方，快速利落地爬上去。現(xiàn)在，“hand over fist”更常用于與資金流動、商業(yè)等發(fā)展有關的地方。

#9658; 插手、介入或參與某事，可用“take a hand”這個短語來表示，它后面通常搭配介詞in。這個短語容易與下文提及的“take it in hand”混淆。“take it in hand”=“take it over”，相當于“接管、占為己有”的意思。大家要區(qū)分開哦。

#9658; “hand(手)”與“glove(手套)”的關系可謂親密無間，因此，“hand in glove”也就用來形容配合得天衣無縫、關系十分密切這個意思。例如:The teacher and the principal work hand in glove.(老師和校長工作配合得很好。)

#9658; “throw up one’s hands”這個短語形象地描繪出舉起雙手投降時的無奈。它也自然表示因為絕望而徹底投降、認輸。

#9658; 中文的“金盆洗手”可以說是完美地詮釋了“wash one’s hands”的精髓。“wash one’s hands”就是停止干某事、從某事或某狀態(tài)中抽離出來。