我们今天还要学几个以hold这个词为主的习惯用语。To hold常用来表示用手拿住或者抓住。今天要学的第一个习惯用语是:to hold your end up。To hold your end up的意思是:做你份内的工作。也可以说,承担你份内的责任。人们从二十世纪中期就开始用这个习惯用语了。要知道to hold your end up这个习惯用语的来源很容易。你只要想象两个人搬一件重的东西。你得把你这一端抬起来,要不然这个东西是动不了的。
例句-1:Joe isn't a bad guy but he simply doesn't hold his end up, so I have to work late every day to finish what he doesn't do. I've talked to him about this and he's promised to do better. If he doesn't I'll go to our boss and ask him to get someone else.
我们今天要学的第二个习惯用语是:don't hold your breath。Breath是个名词,意思是:呼吸。Don't hold your breath是来自一个比较老的说法:Hold your breath,意思是:吸了一口气后憋住,不要吐气。Hold your breath 也可以指一个人由于太紧张,太恐惧而憋住了气。
Don't hold your breath从字面上来解释,它的意思是:不要憋着气。这也是don't hold your breath的一般意思。但是,我们这里讲的是习惯用语。它的意思就不同了。
要是某人对你说: Don't hold your breath, 那是指你所说的事可能不会发生。另外,要是有人向你保证他会做某件事,而另外一个人对你说:Don't hold your breath,他的意思是:你不要当真,这个保证可能不会兑现。
Don't hold your breath也就是对某人预料的事,或者保证的事表示十分怀疑。好,我们来听一个例句。讲话的人在跟一个同事谈关于老板说要给他们年终加薪的事。他不太相信老板真的会这样做。他说:
例句-2:Sure, I know that he said he expects to give us all a nice increase in our pay this winter, but don't hold your breath, friend. Don't you remember he made the same promise two years ago and we're still waiting to see any money?
今天我们要学的第三个,也是最后一个习惯用语是:to hold someone's feet to the fire。To hold someone's feet to the fire,最开始是折磨囚犯的一种方法,把囚犯的脚置于熊熊大火之上,烫得他受不了,以迫使他承认罪行,或者是提供信息。现在,to hold someone's feet to the fire的意思已经有所改变。它是指给某人非肉体的压力,以迫使他同意做他不太愿意做的事。
例句-3:Okay, Pete, stay after the CEO of that outfit - keep phoning him, inviting him to lunch, use any other way you can think of to keep pressure on him. We really need his business, so do your best to hold his feet to the fire!