Green thumb
指的是某人在种花或种菜方面很有才能,或在这方面很有知识和技术。
比如说,一位太太在谈到她邻居李太太的时候说:
\"I wish I had a green thumb like Mrs. Lee -- look at the beautiful roses in her yard.\"
这位太太说:“我真希望我能像李太太那样会种花,瞧她院子里的玫瑰花多好看呐!”
可是,不会种花和种菜的人看来还不少,下面讲话的这个人看来更糟糕:
\"I guess I don\'t have much of a green thumb: every year I plant cabbage, beans and sweet corn in my backyard but all I ever get is a lot of weeds.\"
这个人说:“我猜想我在种菜方面是没有什么才能。每年,我在后院种菜、种豆和种玉米,可是长出来的大都是草。”
Green light
表示某个计划获得批准,可以进行。
\"My boss liked my idea to open a branch office in Los Angeles and gave me the green light to go ahead.\"
这位经理说:“我的老板非常支持我在洛杉矶开一个分公司的建议。他让我按计划去办。”
下面我们再来举个例子:
\"The astronauts were in the space shuttle ready to go, but somebody saw one of their computers had a problem. It\'s fixed now, but Houston Control is checking it again before they give the green light to launch.\"
这句话翻成中文就是:“宇航员都已经进入航天飞机,准备出发。但是,有一个人发现他们的一个电脑有问题。现在虽然已经修好,可是休斯顿控制中心正在再一次进行检查,然后再让他们正式发射。”
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