亲爱的小文: . _) ~" Z: Y" w: g ) p5 N9 p. ~1 b 你说姥姥手指肿了,要不要紧?肿的是哪一只?% T/ e8 h C7 k2 J
手指是finger,指头尖是fingertip,She was a lady to her fingertips.是“她浑身都是淑女”,连指头尖(里)都是。指甲是nail,钉子也是,也叫fingernail He is witty to the fingernails.是说浑身都是机智,机智都跑到指甲里头去了,连指甲里都有机智。! c2 {6 k* b' B8 ]7 ~; B
My fingers itch to box his ears. 是手痒得想打他一个耳光,My fingers are itching to do it.是“跃跃欲试”,但是中文中“食指大动”“技痒”一类的意思。have a finger in the pie是“染指”、“参与”,look through one's fingers at是假装看不见(从指头缝中偷看),finger alphabet是“手势字母”,是聋子哑巴用的。 6 Q3 d% Z) W) _; W 大拇指是thumb,童话里有一个Tom Thumb,任何小东西矮东西也叫Tom Thumb,喜欢吮大拇指叫thumb-sucker。thumb one's nose是一种做鬼脸。你在路上,若看到有人伸大拇指拦车,这种动作就叫thumb(也叫hitch-hike),这种人就叫thumb-pusher(也叫hitch-hiker),thumber就是揩油搭便车的。说这个人笨手笨脚的,常用His fingers are all thumbs. 十个指头全跟大拇指一样,不是完蛋了吗?- T* F3 z) X# f+ B# D1 j
食指是index finger,index,forefinger,书的“索引”也叫index。 - T4 \3 J$ W, v" y& T8 ~/ H: t 中指是middle finger,middle是“中间”的意思。8 z b9 c" ^& v
无名指是ring finger,尤其是指左手的,ring是戒指,key ring是钥匙环。 / A3 P4 g: K, @; X9 g$ o! o( [ 小指是little finger,说“玩弄别人于股(大腿)掌(手心)之上”,英文则是He has a remarkable talent for twisting people around his little finger.这 turn (twist) around one's little finger是成语,要记住。7 y0 x7 G* V, y) l4 t
中文里的“屈指可数”翻成英文是can count on the fingers (of a hand),“指不胜屈”是too many to count (on the fingers),打棒球时,若老是接不住球,这种人叫“奶油指头”(butterfingers),奶油指头跟十个指头都是大拇指比起来,正好是“半斤八两”(Tweedledum and Tweedledee)!! U$ p B1 P3 Y8 k
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爸 爸 一九七三年十月二十八日夜