轻松学英语口语基础入门

英语初级口语轻松学：聆听并回答迷你故事

A red Ferrari pulls up next to him. The driver's wearing dark sun looks over at Allen. Allen looks at him and realizes that the driver is TomCruise!

Tom sneers at Allen. He says, "When the light turns green, let's race".

Allen says, "Allright, you're on!"

Tom says, "I'm gonna smoke you, sucka!"

Allen says, "You wish. I'm gonna beat you and your sorry-ass car".

Allen and Tom wait at the light. They rev their engines.

Suddenly, the light turns green. Allen and Tom take off! They zoom down VanNess at top speed. Tom is winning.

But suddenly, blue and red lights appear behind Tom-- its the police. Theypull him over.

Allen zooms past Tom, laughing. He yells, "Better luck next time!"

Allen is the winner!

美国习惯用语：毫不出色 相当平庸(音频)

例如，在今天要学的第一个习惯用语里shakes就是名词，而且根据习惯这个短语里的shake还带有复数词尾-s。这个习惯用语是：no great shakes。No great shakes这个习惯用语听来意思是没引起多大的震动。换句话说也就是平凡普通、中不溜秋的东西或者事情。

我们来听个例子。说话的人在对朋友评论自己昨晚看的一场电影。我们听听他是否欣赏这部片子。

例句-1：Well, it was no great shakes. The story was mediocre and the acting was just so-so. I was bored except for that new actress - she can’t act but she’s a beautiful woman.

他说：嗯，这片子毫不出色。故事情节一般，演技也不过如此。除了里面的一位新的女明星之外，其它方面都让我觉得腻烦。这位新星不会演戏，但她是个美女。

这里他用了习惯用语no great shakes表示这电影毫不出色、相当平庸。

我们再听个例子。这段话在谈运动，说话的人最心爱的棒球队是波士顿的红袜队，只是听来红袜队今年的战绩让他很扫兴。

例句-2：I thought the Red Sox had a real chance to win the World Series this year after so long without a championship. But they turned out to be no great shakes, just like last year.

他说：我原以为红袜队那么久没有得过冠军，今年一定有可能在世界职业棒球锦标赛中赢得胜利，但是他们却和去年一样成绩平平。

这里的no great shakes意思是成绩平平，并不出人头地。听来这个失望的球迷只能耐心地再等上一年了。

今天要学的'第二个习惯用语是：shake a leg。在Shake a leg这个习惯用语里，shake显然是个动词，照字面意思看shake a leg就是晃动一条腿。我们听下面的例子来捉摸习惯用语shake a leg是什么意思吧。这是大学生在叫醒早上贪睡不起的室友Bob。注意他话里的shake a leg：

例句-3：Bob! Hey, Bob, wake up! It’s already 9:30 and you’ve got that big math test at 10 o’clock. Come on, man, shake a leg! Come on, - you’ve got to get moving right now!

他使劲叫醒Bob，因为已经到九点半了，而Bob十点有数学大测验。时间紧迫，所以他要Bob必须立刻行动起来。

显然他说shake a leg，是催促Bob赶快行动。这就是这个习惯用语的意思。

再听个例子。说话的人正焦灼不安地在房间里来回踱步，又一而再、再而三地看手表，他终于按捺不住，对在里屋磨蹭个没完没了的太太发话了，注意他话里也用了shake a leg：

例句-4：Honey, we’d better shake a leg. The wedding is at eleven and it takes an hour to drive there. It’s already 10:15 so we better get moving because we’re already late!

他和太太要去参加定在十一点举行的婚礼。他们开车去那儿要一个钟点。而现在已经十点一刻了。他催促太太赶快开步走，因为他们已经晚了。

这段话里的习惯用语shake a leg意思显然也是赶快行动，可见shake a leg是用来催促旁人加快行动的。它是非正式的语言，常用在家人和老朋友之间。