源于航海的英语成语10例

源于航海的英语成语10例

作者：陈仁祯

■be in / get into hot water 惹来麻烦或羞辱

If you keep doing so, you will be in hot water. 你要是继续这样做，你会有麻烦的。

■in low water 缺钱，拮据

Soon we were in low water. 很快我们就没钱了。

■on the rocks

濒于破裂，濒于破产

He was unable to get down from his precarious position on the rocks. 他当时无法摆脱自己的困境。

加冰块而不加水的

Scotch on the rocks, please. 我要加冰块的威士忌酒。

on the rocks的本义是“触礁”。如：

The boat smashed to pieces on the rocks. 船触礁而撞碎了。

■know the ropes 知道事情的内幕，熟悉内幕，懂得诀窍

He knows the ropes. 他知道其中的规矩。

■look out for squalls 提防危险

You must keep awake and look out for squalls. 我们必须提高警惕，以防有危险。

■lose one’s bearings 迷失方向，蒙头转向，不知所措，惶惑

The sailors lost their bearings last night. 昨夜水手们迷失了方向。

■sail under false colour 挂着别国国旗航行，欺世盗名

It’s no use sailing under false colour. 瞒天过海没有用。

■sail before the wind 获得成功，发迹

He went to America in the thirties, and soon sailed before the wind. 他30年代去了美国，不久就发迹了。

若用于本义，其义表示“顺风”。如：

The ship sailed before the wind. 轮船顺风航行。

■trim the sail to the wind 见风使舵

He has been used to trimming the sail to the wind. 他已习惯于见风使舵。