【每日一练】an arm and a leg!
昨天学习了一个“very cheap”的表达方式:next to nothing,今天我们来学一个反义的表达,如何表达“很贵”?
你当然可以说:
It’s very expensive.
It’s very very expensive.
It’s too expensive.
…
不过,如果一直这样说,语言未免显得贫乏。我们来看看以下这个表达:
Oh, it cost me an arm and a leg!
哦,这花了我一大笔钱!
“an arm and a leg”在这里并不是指“一条手臂一条腿”,而是指“a very great amount of money”,即“很大一笔钱”。你可以这么理解:花钱花到好像要割了手臂和腿,代价实在是太大了!
这个短语通常与动词cost, spend, pay等连用。
My new cellphone cost me an arm and a leg!
我的新手机花了我一大笔钱!
I really don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for rent in the town.
我可不想花一大笔钱在城里租房子。
Man, I just had to spend an arm and a leg
to get my car repaired.
天哪,我只能花一大笔钱来修车。
A week at a holiday villa resort can
cost an arm and a leg.
去别墅度假村呆一个星期可是要花很大一笔钱。
想一想,最近有什么东西是“花了一条手臂加一条腿”的?用英文描述一下。
Now it's your time to open your mouth and practice!
张开嘴巴练起来!
Have fun learning English!