我wo先xian生sheng牙ya不bu好hao,但dan又you特te別bie不bu喜xi歡huan去qu看kan牙ya醫yi。前qian不bu久jiu,他ta補bu過guo的de一yi顆ke牙ya裏li的de填tian料liao掉diao了le出chu來lai,我wo勸quan他ta趕gan緊jin去qu找zhao牙ya醫yi修xiu補bu。這zhe不bu,一yi個ge月yue過guo去qu了le,他還是沒給牙醫打電話預約。或許現在那顆牙並不疼,不過,誰都知道,這是遲早的事。這讓我想起了今天要學的習慣用語,叫, push one's luck.
大家都知道,動詞push是推的意思,luck是運氣。Push one's luck這zhe個ge習xi慣guan用yong語yu的de意yi思si就jiu是shi,有you點dian兒er運yun氣qi就jiu得de寸cun進jin尺chi,貪tan心xin不bu足zu。就jiu說shuo我wo先xian生sheng吧ba,牙ya裏li的de填tian料liao掉diao了le,但dan是shi牙ya卻que不bu疼teng,夠gou幸xing運yun的de吧ba?但dan是shi他ta卻que得de寸cun進jin尺chi,不bu趕gan緊jin去qu找zhao牙ya醫yi修xiu補bu。這zhe就jiu叫jiaopush his luck.
我早上開車,路上聽了一個關於汽車保養的節目。主持人念了一封聽眾寄來的電子郵件,讓我們一起聽聽看。
例句-1:Every time I get my oil changed, the mechanic reminds me to bring the car back in another 3,000 miles. Now I see that I've driven almost 8,000 more miles and still haven't had any problem. Do you think I'm pushing my luck? Or do I really need to get my car serviced again?
這位聽眾在信中說: 每(mei)次(ci)我(wo)去(qu)換(huan)機(ji)油(you),車(che)鋪(pu)人(ren)都(dou)提(ti)醒(xing)我(wo),每(mei)開(kai)三(san)千(qian)英(ying)裏(li)就(jiu)要(yao)來(lai)換(huan)一(yi)次(ci)機(ji)油(you)。可(ke)是(shi)現(xian)在(zai)我(wo)都(dou)開(kai)了(le)八(ba)千(qian)英(ying)裏(li)了(le),車(che)子(zi)還(hai)好(hao)好(hao)的(de),沒(mei)有(you)出(chu)現(xian)任(ren)何(he)問(wen)題(ti)。你(ni)覺(jiao)得(de)我(wo)這(zhe)樣(yang)做(zuo)是(shi)貪(tan)心(xin)不(bu)足(zu)嗎(ma)?我(wo)是(shi)不(bu)是(shi)真(zhen)的(de)需(xu)要(yao)把(ba)車(che)開(kai)到(dao)修(xiu)車(che)行(xing)去(qu)保(bao)養(yang)呢(ne)?
要讓我說,這個人絕對是在push his luck。車che子zi的de定ding期qi保bao養yang是shi絕jue對dui不bu能neng放fang鬆song的de,車che子zi跟gen人ren一yi樣yang,人ren要yao吃chi好hao睡shui好hao鍛duan煉lian好hao才cai能neng長chang壽shou,車che子zi也ye要yao定ding期qi檢jian查zha,保bao養yang才cai能neng長chang期qi給gei你ni服fu務wu,否fou則ze壞huai了le,又you要yao去qu修xiu,更geng得de不bu償chang失shi。
剛才我們說到,車子要定期保養,如果本應三千英裏換一次機油,結果開到八千英裏還不去的話,就是在push your luck。老lao實shi說shuo,我wo也ye犯fan過guo類lei似si的de錯cuo誤wu。那na天tian我wo鞋xie的de後hou跟gen掉diao了le,我wo就jiu自zi己ji粘zhan了le回hui去qu,打da算suan堅jian持chi兩liang天tian,周zhou末mo有you時shi間jian拿na去qu修xiu。我wo得de意yi洋yang洋yang地di穿chuan著zhe去qu上shang班ban,結jie果guo上shang班ban的de路lu上shang鞋xie跟gen又you掉diao了le下xia來lai,害hai得de我wo當dang眾zhong出chu醜chou。
我當時唯一的想法是,I shouldn't have pushed my luck.在下麵這個例子中,一群登山愛好者要做出一項十分艱難的選擇。讓我們一起看看。
例句-2:My friend and I had planned this climb for months. And there we were, almost to the top. But the sun was going down on us. Did we want to try and hurry? We decided not to push our luck and risk an accident. After all, the mountain could wait until morning.
其中一個人說:wogenpengyoumencehuazhecixingdongyijinghaojigeyuele,yankanjiuyaodaoshandingdeshihou,pianpiantaiyangxiashanle。womenyaojueding,shifoujixupandeng,danshidajiazuihoujueding,haishibuyaotingerzouxian,keyidengdaozaoshang,yimianfashengshigu。
英語裏有一句常說的話,叫better safe than sorry,意思是寧可加倍小心,也要比發生意外好。還好這些登山愛好者比較明智,沒有push their luck,否則發生意外,後悔就完了。
Push one's luck這個習慣用語可以追溯到二十世紀,也有人說得更簡單,就叫push it.我可以說,我先生不趕緊去看牙醫,是push it.我沒有及時去修鞋,也是在push it.看來,我們大家都有這種時候。
(來源:美國習慣用語)
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