Unit One
核心語匯

action

Everyday Expressions
Now it’s time to take action. (現在是該行動的時候了。)
The action is set in Paris. (事情發生在巴黎。)
The action lasted five hours. (戰斗持續了5個小時）
She decided to take a legal action against him. (她決定起訴他。)
The action took place in a mountain village. (這個故事發生在一個山村里。)
　　
Street Talks
If you guys are going to bet on the basketball game, I want a piece of the action. (算我一份)
Action stations, everyone! The president has arrived! (各就各位)
Lights, camera, action! (What a director would say when shooting a film.（燈光、攝像、開拍！）(導演用語)
He likes being part of the action. (他喜歡參與。)

Proverbs
Actions speak louder than words. 行動勝于語言。
Don’t judge a man’s actions at first sight; give them a second look. 乍看難評人，再看認得清。

animal

Everyday Expressions
We should protect animals.
Drinking alcohol releases the animal in man. (喝酒使人獸行大發。)

Street Talks
A: Rebecca, I got a D in maths this term. What do I do?
B: Sorry about that, Freddie. Cheer up! You can make it next term.But frankly speaking, if you weren’t such a party animal, you’d have more time for studying. （喜歡參加聚會的人）
A: Joanna usually talks to animals and toys.
B: Poor Jo. If only she had a healthy family!
Youth is/are full of animal spirits. （精力十分旺盛）
That fighter is really an animal when he steps in the (boxing)ring. （當這個拳擊手開始比賽的時候，他立刻變成了一個真正的野獸。）

baby

Everyday Expressions

She is expecting a baby. (她懷孕了。) 注：baby的性別不明時，通常用 it 來指代。
Don’t be such a baby! (不要這樣孩子氣！)
Hey babe, you’d like another drink?

Street Talks
A: Rosemary, will you go to the movies with me tonight?
B: I wish I could, Jo. But my baby’s taking me out to dinner tonight. (情人）
A: Tom, I need your help. It’s out of control here.
B: Come on, dear. You can make it. Come on! Give the talk. The whole plan is your baby. (由你負責）
Angela has a baby face.
Don’t cry, baby girl. That’s all right.
Hi baby(babe), would you like me to take you home?
A: That wasn’t hard at all.
B: No, like stealing candy from a baby.

Proverbs
The rich get richer and the poor get babies. 富人發財，窮人得子。
beauty

Everyday Expressions
She was a famous beauty in her youth.
We shall never forget the beauty of the old Beijing.
The beauty of this machine is its simplicity. (這機器的優點在于簡單。)
　　
Street Talks
A: Mom it hurts.
B: This black eye you got in the fight is a real beauty,huh?!
A: Please! Mom!
Saving petrol, you know, that’s the beauty of buying a small car.
The beauty of his new job is that he works his own hours. (flexible hours)
A: Why don’t you come with us?
B: I need my beauty sleep, you know. (我需要大睡一場)

Proverbs
Beauty is but skin-deep. 紅顏易變。
Beauty without virtue is a flower without perfume. 貌美而無德，猶如花之無香。
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. / Beauty lies in lover's eyes. 情人眼里出西施。

Everyday Expressions

She killed two birds with one stone by shopping and visiting the museum on the same trip. (她出門一次，既買了東西又參觀了博物館，真是一舉兩得。)
She is a strange bird.

Street Talks
A: I’ll never be a telephone operator! That job is for the birds（毫無價值的/無聊的）
B: That’s you! Personally, I think it’s an interesting job.
A: Gee, you are one strange bird. (古怪的人)
A: Hi Rick,guess what, Wallace’s twenty years old and doesn’t Know about the birds and the bees.
B: You’re kidding!
C: Hey guys, what’re you talking about?
A: We’re talking about Wallace.
C: What about him?
B: Jack says Wallace doesn’t know about the birds and the bees!!!
C: That explains why he’s a bird-watcher! (喜歡盯著女人看的男人)
A: What are you doing up here?
B: I want to get a bird’s eye view of the campus. I don’t think I’ll ever be an early bird.
A: Do you see that?
B: What?
A: That guy just gave you the bird!
　　
Proverbs
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
一鳥在手勝于兩鳥在林。[明天得一百不如今天得五十/到手的東西才是可靠的]
Birds of the same feather flock together.
羽毛相同的鳥會結群在一起。[物以類聚]
The early bird catches the worm.
早起的鳥有蟲吃。[捷足先登。]
Kill two birds with one stone.
用一個石頭打死兩只鳥。[一箭雙雕，一舉兩得]

body
　　
Everyday Expressions
Swimming is the best way to tone your body. (增強體質。)
The mind governs the body. (精神支配肉體。)
Congress is a legislative body. (國會是立法機關。)
There’s something wrong with the body of a letter.

Street Talks
You’ve got the body and I’ve got the brains.(You’re good-looking,I’m smart.)
A: Where did you bury his body? (尸體)
B: On the the back hill.

A: Dad, I found a dealer!
B: Over my dead body will you sell this house. (除非我死了）

A: It’s illegal to write this kind of article. You see?
B: I’ll write whatever I want to!

A: But they’ll put you in prison,dear?!
B: They can imprison my body, but not my mind.

A: I do not think Tracy is very good-looking.
B: But you’ve got to love that body!

Proverbs
A little body often harbours a great soul.
莫道身軀小，偉人寓其間。

boy

Everyday Expressions
Put out that troublesome boy. (把那個搗蛋的男孩趕出去。)
Cheer up, my boy!
The bell boy is very responsible.
Oh, boy ,what a beautiful girl!

Street Talks
The cowboys in that movie are mostly nature boys.
(男性味十足的男人)
A: Oh, boy! Look at that! (哎！哇！）
B: What’s up?
A: That house is on fire!

A: Mr. Smith, your son saved his classmate from drowning this morning!
B: That’s my boy! (好小子)

A: Boy, you’re in trouble!
B: Why?
A: Mom found out you’ve been skipping school.

You’d better listen to me, boy!
Hey, don’t fight! He’s my boy. (buddy)
I went to the bar with the boys last night.

Proverbs
As the boy is, so is the man.
三歲看老。

business

Everyday Expressions
It’s your business to take care of the kids. (你的職責是照顧孩子。)
What line of business are you in? (你從事那一行？)
John wants to go into business when he leaves university.

Street Talks
A: Hi Bob, how’s business? (情況如何)
B: Just okay.
A: Okay, enough small talk. Let’s get down to business/talk business. (談正題吧)
B: Good idea.
A: Since we’re good friends, you don't have to pay me.
B: No, I can’t accept it. Business is business.
A: Joanna, will you go out with me tonight?
B: I’d like to, but I’m afraid I can’t. I have another date
　　tonight.
A: With who?
B: David! C’mon! It’s none of your business. (你就別管了)
A: Why are you so happy?
B: Well, the bank just called and agreed to finance us. So we are in business now, buddy!
A: Hi Jane where’s your husband?
B: He’s away on business.
I majored in bookkeeping in business school.
There is a war going on, for God’s sake! We can’t go on business as usual.
Be careful, these guys mean business.

諺語Proverbs
Business makes a man as well as tries him.
事業既會考驗人，也會造就人。
Business is the salt of life.
事業是人生之鹽，不可缺少。
Business neglected is business lost.
疏忽必失。
car

義 Everyday Expressions

He goes to school by car.

Cafe cars are operated on trains by the Railways. (列車上有吸煙休息室的餐車由鐵道部門經營。)

I go to work by street car every day. (有軌電車)

生活用語Street Talks
This train has a restaurant car. (餐車 BrE)
If George hadn’t wrapped his car around a tree, he’d be here
to cut his birthday cake tonight. (高速駕車撞上某物)
There was a car jack this morning in the east part of city. Fortunately, nobody was hurt. The perputrator is still al large.
A: Would you mind giving me a push? My car has stalled. (熄火)
B: My pleasure.
A: Can I borrow your car tonight?
B: Just make sure you don’t wreck it.
A: Nancy, you want to go to a movie now?
B: Sorry, I can’t leave now. I’m car pooling today.
chance
義 Everyday Expressions
Bill left everything to chance. (每件事都聽其自然。)
John wants to go abroad when he gets a chance.
This ideal stands a good chance of realization.
　　

生活用語Street Talks
A: Sally, I was wondering if I, I could borrow…Well I mean…Imean borrow…
B: Money? Me lend you money! Not a chance! (全無機會)
A: Well Mr. Black, I appreciate your interest in our company,
but I doubt you can do this job properly.
B: I’m sure I can do it well. I’ve always wanted to be the best in whatever I did. Give me a chance. (給我一次機會吧)
A: I wish I could. But you even don’t have a B.A, so I’m sorry to say there’s no chance. (不可能)
B: You’re questioning my ability? I tell ya, I can make it! I’ll talk to your boss.
A: Mr. Black, I don’t think my boss will talk to you. It’s a Chinaman’s chance.
B: You think so? Let’s take a chance! (讓我們試試看）
A: Well, the debate was fair.
B: Yeah, you said it. Each opponent had a chance to speak.
A: As chance would have it, I ran into Ron today. (很湊巧）
B: Do you have a cigarette by chance? (湊巧)
A: VV, would you lend me 50,000?
B: Fat chance!
What about my chances to got this job?
Are you from China by any chance?

諺語Proverbs
Chance dispenses life with unequal justice.
人生際遇，難得平等。
Whom chance often passes by, it finds at last.
錯過機會的人，最終還會找到機會。

child(ren)

義 Everyday Expressions

Tom’s first child died two days after he got divorced.

My wife is a child in financial matters. (我的妻子不善于理財。)
n. 產兒，產物
His books were the children of his brain.
生活用語Street Talks
A: Daddy, uncle Willie is too fat.
B: Huh! He’ll be angry when he hears that.
C: Let it be, honey. He’s only a child. Children and fools speak the truth.
A: Children enter school at five, don’t they?
B: Yes. And in secondary school, children get more advanced knowledge.
A: That’s not fair!
B: Stop acting like such a child! (別這么幼稚。)
A: Was the test difficult?
B: Child’s play. (小兒科。)
I’m a real wild child. I like to drink, chase women, and smoke weed. (大麻)
諺語Proverbs
Children and fools cannot lie.
孩子和傻子，不會說謊。
Children are poor men’s riches.
孩子是窮人的財產。
The child is father of the man
童年的經歷可決定成年以后的性格（三歲看大）。

clock

　　義 Everyday Expressions
I set my alarm clock for 6.30. (我把鬧鐘撥到6點半響。)
This old car has clocked up another 50,000 kilometers. (這部老爺車已經行駛了5萬公里）
He clocked 9.6 seconds for the 100 meters. (他用9.6秒跑完100米）
生活用語Street Talks
A: Damn George, he’s trying to kill the clock. (為保持分數而拿著球拖延比賽時間）
B: We’ve got to stop him. Come on!
If ya don’t shut up, buster, I’m gonna clean your clock! (狠揍你一頓)
The new regulations will put the clock back by 50 years.
(新的規章是開倒車，要退回50年前的水平。)
A: All staff in the company are required to clock in. (記錄上班時間)
B: Clock in? You mean punch in? (同樣表示記錄上班時間）
A: Yes!
B: Do we have staff who usually clock in late?
A: Sometimes, yes.
B: Well I used to set my alarm clock for exactly 7 o’clock
　　a.m. I’m sure I won’t be late for work.
Let’s stay the clock babygirl, and enjoy ourselves. (忘記時間)
　　
諺語Proverbs
A clock that stands still is better than one that goes
wrong.
不走的鐘比不準的鐘更好。

company

義 Everyday Expressions
I don’t feel at home in Alice’s company. (覺得不自在。)
George keeps his own company. (獨來獨往)
This company laid off 100 hands. (人)
公司名通常簡寫為: Co.例：史密斯公司--- Smith Co.
a company of players (演出團)
生活用語Street Talks
A: Jack doesn’ t enjoy the company of the opposite sex!
（不喜歡與異性作伴）
B: What a queer bird! (多奇怪的人啊！)
C: No, I don’t think so. I think he’s glad of Joanna’s company!
A: See, they’re over there!!!
A: What does your son do f0or a living?
B: He works for a shipping company.
　　 A: John and Kate are keeping company. (談戀愛）
B: Well I don’t think they are serious.
Leo got tired of the espionage game and quit the Company.
(間諜活動;美國中央情報局)
　　 Parents usually remind their kids to avoid the company of
strangers. (避免與陌生人交往)
　　諺語 Proverbs
Better go it alone than to be in bad company.
寧可一人獨往，莫與壞人為伴。
You may know a man by the company he keeps.
只見其友則知其人。