數字短語（一）

Today I will tell about expressions using numbers. Let us start with the number one. Numbers can be tricky. On the one hand， they are simply numbers. On the other hand， they have meanings. I for one use these expressions a lot.

Many people consider themselves number one， the most important person. They are always looking out for number one and taking care of number one. It is as if they are the one and only person on Earth. Some people however， are not so self-centered. My brother is such a person. It is true—no joke. I am not trying to pull a fast one on you.

First， you have to understand that my brother is one in a million. He is such a nice person. All his friends like him. They consider him one of the boys. Recently， my brother had a bad day at the office. It was just one of those days. Nothing went right. So he stopped at a local bar—a drinking place—after leaving work. My brother planned to have a glass of beer with his friends—a quick one—before he went home. But a quick one turned into one or two， and soon those became one too many.

As my brother was leaving， he ordered a last drink—one for the road. His friends became concerned. One by one， they asked him if he was able to drive home safely.

Now my brother is a wise and calm person. He is at one with himself. He recognizes when he has had too much alcohol to drink. So he accepted an offer for a ride home from a female friend.

At one time in the past， my brother had been in love with this woman. She is a great person—kind， thoughtful and intelligent—all good qualities rolled up into one. But sadly their relationship did not work. He always used to say “One of these days， I am going to marry this girl.” But that never happened. For one thing， she did not love him as much as he loved her. It was just one of those things. The situation was regrettable and my brother had to accept it. But even now， he considers her the one that got away.

However， they are still friends. And because my brother had been kind to her， she felt that one good turn deserves another. He was good to her and she wanted to help him in return. So she drove him home.

If my brother had driven home from the bar that night， his number would have been up. Something bad would have happened. Thankfully he made it home safely. And， he and the woman are back to square one. They are back to where they started—being friends.

（Music）

on the one hand，也可以寫作on one hand，經常與on the other hand連用，意思是“一方面……，另一方面……”，例如：On the one hand， a lot of people are going to the US， but on the other hand， a lot of people are coming back from there.（一方面，許多人前往美國；另一方面，很多人又從那里回來。）

for one 是舉個例說；作為其中一個的意思。例如：Many people do not like certain foods， I for one don’t like cabbage.（許多人不喜歡吃某種食物，例如我就不喜歡吃圓白菜。）

number one 意思是最重要的人物；頭號人物。例如：You are always number one.（你總是最重要的。）

look out for number one 意思是先為自己著想，自私自利，謀求自身的利益。同樣，take care of number one也是照顧自己的利益，為自己打算的意思。例如：They are always looking out for number one and taking care of number one.（他們一直是先為自己著想，照顧自己的利益。）

one and only 意思是獨一無二的，唯一的，絕無僅有的。

pull a fast one 這是一句俚語，意思是行騙，欺詐。例如：He tried to pull a fast one on us， but we caught on before he got away with it.（他想欺騙我們，但在他陰謀得逞前就被我們逮到了。）

one in a million 意思是百里挑一/千中挑一的人或物；無與倫比的人或事。

one of the boys 意思是男孩中的一員。

one of those days 意思是那些日子，一段倒霉的日子。例如：Everybody has one of those days when everything goes wrong.（每個人都會遇到事事不順心的日子。）

quick one 意思是匆匆一口喝下去的酒；匆匆喝一杯。one or two 意思是一、兩杯。one too many 意思是多余的；許多的，在文中也就是喝多了。

one for the road 是臨行最后一杯酒的意思。例如：Oh， not yet！ At least have one for the road.（哦，還不到時候，至少再喝一杯，以表送行。）

one by one 意思是一個接一個；逐個地；逐一地，通常強調的是順序。

at one with himself 是頭腦冷靜下來的意思。

at one time 是曾經，一度的意思。

roll up into one 是合為一體；兼于一身的意思。引用文中的句子：She is a great person—kind， thoughtful and intelligent—all good qualities rolled up into one.（她是個很優秀的女人——善良，體貼，聰慧——集所有可貴品質于一身。）

one of these days 意思是總有一天（用于許諾）。

for one thing 是首先；一則的意思。

one of those things 指的是命中注定的事，不可避免的事。

the one that got away 意思是那個離去的人。

one good turn deserves another 這是一句諺語，意思是善有善報，禮尚往來。就是對于別人的善意或幫助應作相應的回報。

one’s number is up （one’s number would have been up） 意思是指某人節數已盡；輪到某人遭殃，某人完蛋了！

back to square one 是從頭再來；退回起點的意思。