數(shù)字短語(yǔ)（二）

Last week， I told about the number one. Today， I will tell about expressions using other numbers.

Some problems are difficult to solve. But there are a lot of number expressions that can help. For example， if we put two and two together， we might come up with the right answer. We know that two heads are better than one. It is always better to work with another person to solve a problem.

Sometimes there are no two ways about it. Some problems have only one solution. You cannot be of two minds over this.

But with any luck， we could solve the problem in two shakes of a lamb’s tail. We could have our answers quickly and easily.

Sometimes we can kill two birds with one stone. That is， we can complete two goals with only one effort or action. But we must remember that two wrongs don’t make a right. If someone does something bad to you， you should not do the same to him.

If you are going out with your girlfriend， or boyfriend， you do not want another friend to go along on your date. You can just say to your friend： two’s company， three’s a crowd.

When I was a young child in school， I had to learn the three R’s. These important skills are reading， writing and arithmetic. These three words do not all start with the letter “R.” But they have the sound of “R.” My teachers used to give three cheers when I did well in math. They gave praise and approval for a job well done.

Some of my friends were confused and did not understand their schoolwork. They were at sixes and sevens. In fact， they did not care if they finished high school. They saw little difference between the two choices. Six of one， half a dozen the other—that was their position. But they were really happy when they completed their studies and graduated from high school. They were in seventh heaven. They were on cloud nine.

Nine times out of ten， students who do well in school find good jobs. Some work in an office doing the same things every day at nine-to-five jobs. You do not have to dress to the nines， or wear your best clothes， for this kind of work.

Last year， one of my friends applied for a better job at her office. I did not think she would get it. I thought she had a hundred to one shot at the job. Other people at her office thought her chances were a million to one. One reason was that she had been caught catching forty winks at the office. She slept at her desk for short periods during the day. But her supervisor appointed her to the new job at the eleventh hour—at the very last minute. I guess her lucky number came up.

● put two and two together 從字面上看是指“把二和二放在一起”，但實(shí)際上它的意思是“根據(jù)所知、所聞、所見(jiàn)推斷事物，做出結(jié)論”。想一想，要正確判斷事實(shí)是不是需要從其正反兩方面反復(fù)推敲，再綜合評(píng)定？所以人們用put two and two together來(lái)表示“根據(jù)事實(shí)推斷”。

● two heads are better than one 直譯是兩個(gè)腦袋比一個(gè)腦袋強(qiáng)，就是說(shuō)兩個(gè)人在一起商量一件事、解決一個(gè)問(wèn)題會(huì)比一個(gè)人在那里苦思冥想要好。所以可以譯作：三個(gè)臭皮匠頂個(gè)諸葛亮；人多智廣 ；一人計(jì)短，二人計(jì)長(zhǎng)。

● no two ways about it 意思是“不可避免；別無(wú)辦法；板上釘釘；毫無(wú)疑問(wèn)”。例如：You stay here， you die. No two ways about it. （你若留在這里，必死無(wú)疑。）

● of two minds 是“左右搖擺；拿不定主意；三心二意；猶豫不定”的意思。例如：He always seems to be of two minds about everything. （不管什么事情，他似乎總是猶豫不定。）

● in two shakes of a lamb’s tail 是“馬上，立刻”的意思。試想，小羊搖兩下尾巴的時(shí)間不是很快很短嗎？

● kill two birds with one stone 諺語(yǔ)，意思是“一石二鳥(niǎo)；一箭雙雕；一舉兩得”。

● two wrongs don’t make a right 意思是“兩個(gè)錯(cuò)加不出一個(gè)正確來(lái)；二錯(cuò)相加仍是錯(cuò)；以牙還牙行不通；不能因別人錯(cuò)了自己也就可以犯錯(cuò)”。

two’s company， three’s a crowd 意思是“兩人成伴，三人成患”。例如：Two’s company， three’s a crowd， so please don’t come with my girlfriend and me. （兩人剛好，三人嫌太擠，所以請(qǐng)不要跟著我和我的女朋友來(lái)。）

the three R’s 就是基本三會(huì)：讀，寫(xiě)，算。

give three cheers 是鼓掌的意思。例如：Let’s give the girls three cheers.（讓我們?yōu)榕児恼疲。┒鴗hree cheers for...意思是：為……三歡呼。例如：Three cheers for the winner！（為獲勝者三呼喝彩。）

at sixes and sevens 意思是亂七八糟或所有的事情都是一團(tuán)糟。

six of one， half a dozen the other 意思是“半斤八兩，不相上下”。這個(gè)俗語(yǔ)的直譯為“一個(gè)人的六個(gè)，另一個(gè)人的半打”。半打就是六個(gè)，兩者完全相同，只是說(shuō)法不同而已，故用來(lái)比喻兩種東西一模一樣，相當(dāng)于漢語(yǔ)里的“半斤八兩”。據(jù)認(rèn)為，該俗語(yǔ)最早出現(xiàn)在19世紀(jì)英國(guó)作家弗雷德里克·馬里亞特（Frederick Marryat，1792～1848）的小說(shuō)《海盜和三只小艇》（The Pirates and the Three Cutters， 1836）中。該俗語(yǔ)有時(shí)也作six and two threes。例如：What difference does it matter？ They’re both the same—six of one， half a dozen of the other.（這有什么區(qū)別？?jī)烧呤窍嗤摹荒Ｒ粯印＃?/p>

seventh heaven 意思是極樂(lè)世界；七重天（天之最高處）。暗喻心情極為快樂(lè)、滿足。

on cloud nine 是“非常高興，九霄云上”的意思。從字面上理解，是指“在第九層云端”，在那么高的云上飄，是不是有點(diǎn)神仙的感覺(jué)呢？所以on cloud nine引申為飄飄然；非常快樂(lè)；非常高興；沉浸在幸福之中。

nine times out of ten 意思是“十有八九；十之八九；通常；幾乎總是”。

nine-to-five 意思是“上班時(shí)間朝九晚五的”。例如：She works a nine-to-five job. （她有一份朝九晚五的工作。）

dress to the nines 是習(xí)語(yǔ)，動(dòng)詞短語(yǔ)。意為“盛裝，穿得漂漂亮亮”。

a hundred to one shot 意思是“百分之一的可能；可能性很小”。

a million to one 是“可能性極小；百萬(wàn)分之一的可能；微乎其微”的意思。

forty winks 意思是“白天小睡；打盹”。

at the eleventh hour 是“最后一刻；危急之時(shí)；在最后時(shí)刻；在關(guān)鍵時(shí)刻”的意思。

one’s lucky number comes up 意思是“某人走運(yùn)；交上好運(yùn)”。