满眼风光
古今中外事，都付笑谈中。
正文
有beat一词的英文用法和谚语还有很多，干脆再多来几条:
1. beat about the bush or beat around the bush -- 在这儿，around the bush和about the bush是一个意思: 灌木草丛的周边外围。字面意思是"围着灌木草丛乱砍瞎打，就是不打到灌木丛上去"，究竟是意思? 这句有点像中国话"敲鼓敲不到点子上"、"说话说不要点上" -- (应表达能力差而)词不达意，甚至是故意的"环顾左右而言它"。英文的解释是"fail or (intentionally) avoid to come to the point in conversation。如此说来，Don't beat around the bush可以翻译成"别废话"! 如果当年与八路交战的是美军而不是日本兵，美军抓住老百姓可能就会这样逼供: Don't beat around the bush. Just tell us where 土八路 is!
再看两个例句: (1) 如果某学生没好好准备考试，但在考卷上又不得不写点什么以求侥幸得些分，那他多半是 beat around the bush and never really answer the question. (2) 你出了个主意，自我感觉不错，但朋友们觉得不怎么样。讨论时他们为不让你难堪，就用好话唐塞。你知道后火了就对他们说: Can you guys just quit beating around the bush and tell me what you really think about my idea?
2. beat a retreat -- retreat 有撤退或败退之意。战时败阵的一方，溃退时速度决定性命能否逃脱，就像以前常说的: 国军遇到共军时，只恨爹妈少生两条腿。这里的retreat好比是国民党逃跑的速度，那beat a retreat所描述的速度比国军逃跑的速度还快。在中文里有这样的说法: 某人一见事情不妙，就跑得比兔子还快。这"跑得比兔子还快"正是"beat a retreat"。例句: When the burglars saw the police arriving they beat a hasty retreat. = 当那些撬门溜锁的看到警车到来，跑得比兔子还快。
3. beat one's brains out -- 把脑浆子都打出来? 这是专用来形容暴力的吗? 也对也不对。它有三种用法，第一就是指暴力伤人: He was afraid that the guy was going to come back and beat his brains out. = 他怕那家伙会回来打他个半死。第二，非暴力的beat one's brains out近似于中国话"责骂": This candidate has no chance to win this local election, with so many guys on the TV beating his brains out everyday. = 这次地方选举有那么多人在电视里骂他，这位侯选人不可能赢。第三，遇到难题时用这句，等同与中国话"绞尽脑汁"或"苦思冥想": He's been beating his brains out trying to make his girl-friend happy = 他苦思冥想要让他女朋友高兴。第三种用法里，beat one's brains out经常后跟doing something。注意，这里的"脑浆"一定要用复数。
4. beat the drum -- 中国有击鼓鸣冤一说，古戏里常有，有冤情者一通鼓把县老爷击出来升堂办案。英美人士也击鼓，击鼓也是为引人注意，但不是为鸣冤，而是为一些重大的meritorious and/or significant matters。比方说: The president said he will beat the drum to build public support for his education program 。所以，这beat the drum有点像"为某事(比如对社会有益的某项政策)鼓动造势"的意思。
5. beat the rap -- 这个rap可不是rap music中的rap! 是因错而来的责备和惩戒。如果某人干了坏事又能逃避惩罚，那他就是beat the rap了。美国的O. J. 曾是杀人嫌疑犯，但有人认为他用高价雇来好律师，最终逃脱了惩罚: People think that he had enough money and high-priced lawyers and so he was able to beat the rap. 再有，中国有些"人民公仆"常年多行不义，贪赃枉法。最终被揪时人们可以说: There's no way he can beat the rap any more. No one can save him now.
6. beat a dead horse -- 马都死了还抽打它干什么! 如有人这么干，那一定是在浪费时间。 例句1: Considering my article being denied so many times, I really think I'll be just beating a dead horse if I try to send it to any other publishers (except Wenxuecity). -- 考虑到我这篇文章已被拒这么多次，我真的认为再给其他出版商送稿是浪费时间(除了"文学城") 。例句2: I hate to beat a dead horse, but people in
7. beat a path to someone's door = 某人因某事造成轰动，使人们都想来一见尊容。例句1: If you put this low price in tomorrow's newspaper, I guarantee that you will have half the town beating your path to your door. = 如果你把降价的广告明天登报，那一准半个城市的人都来你店里。例句2: If you hit the lottery jackpot, the press will definitely beat a path to your door the next day. = 如果你中彩票头奖，那第二天记者一定会为来你家找你打破头。
8. beat someone at (some)one's own game -- 这意思接近于"你画出道道、你定(游戏)规则，我照样打败你"，也有点中国"以其人之道，还治其人之身"的味道。例句1: The new store reduced the price and started to give me a lot of pressure. However, I knew that if I matched its discount, I would be able to keep all my customers and beat this new competitor at its own game. = 新开张的这家店用低价给我很多压力。不过，我知道我只要跟着降价，就能留住我的顾客，并用这位竞争者自己的方式来打败它。例句2: He was the world champion and I was fully aware of his infamous physicality in his game, but I prepared myself enough and finally beat him in his own game. = 他是世界冠军，我也深知他比赛中那臭名昭著的野蛮，但我作了充分的准备并最后以他的方式战胜了他(也用了野蛮残酷的方式)。
9. beat someone hands down -- 不用手就能战胜对手，说明胜者太强，这胜利也来得太容易。 Yesterday I played tennis with him and he beat me hands down. He is too good for me. -- 昨天我跟他打了网球，他赢我太轻松了。我不是他的对手。
10. beat the shit out of someone -- 意思是把人打个半死，但这是句脏话。"把人严重打伤"可以说"beat someone severely"。 shit是什么? 就是excrement，存在于人的肠子里面。你要是把人的excrement都打出来了，还不得把人打死! 中国也有人会说这样的脏话: 我把你屎都打出来你信不信! 这句中文的英文翻译就是I'll beat the shit out of you! 英文还有一句意思相同的脏话: beat the hell out of someone。学语言吗，好话脏话都需要学点，脏话不提倡说，但也无法避免。打人更是要制止。
一个简单的打字，引出我这么一长篇废话。Hope I was not beating around the bush too much。这又打人又骂人的，别怪我，实在是英文有关 beat 的表达又多又精彩。
(完)
1. beat about the bush or beat around the bush -- 在这儿，around the bush和about the bush是一个意思: 灌木草丛的周边外围。字面意思是"围着灌木草丛乱砍瞎打，就是不打到灌木丛上去"，究竟是意思? 这句有点像中国话"敲鼓敲不到点子上"、"说话说不要点上" -- (应表达能力差而)词不达意，甚至是故意的"环顾左右而言它"。英文的解释是"fail or (intentionally) avoid to come to the point in conversation。如此说来，Don't beat around the bush可以翻译成"别废话"! 如果当年与八路交战的是美军而不是日本兵，美军抓住老百姓可能就会这样逼供: Don't beat around the bush. Just tell us where 土八路 is!
再看两个例句: (1) 如果某学生没好好准备考试，但在考卷上又不得不写点什么以求侥幸得些分，那他多半是 beat around the bush and never really answer the question. (2) 你出了个主意，自我感觉不错，但朋友们觉得不怎么样。讨论时他们为不让你难堪，就用好话唐塞。你知道后火了就对他们说: Can you guys just quit beating around the bush and tell me what you really think about my idea?
2. beat a retreat -- retreat 有撤退或败退之意。战时败阵的一方，溃退时速度决定性命能否逃脱，就像以前常说的: 国军遇到共军时，只恨爹妈少生两条腿。这里的retreat好比是国民党逃跑的速度，那beat a retreat所描述的速度比国军逃跑的速度还快。在中文里有这样的说法: 某人一见事情不妙，就跑得比兔子还快。这"跑得比兔子还快"正是"beat a retreat"。例句: When the burglars saw the police arriving they beat a hasty retreat. = 当那些撬门溜锁的看到警车到来，跑得比兔子还快。
3. beat one's brains out -- 把脑浆子都打出来? 这是专用来形容暴力的吗? 也对也不对。它有三种用法，第一就是指暴力伤人: He was afraid that the guy was going to come back and beat his brains out. = 他怕那家伙会回来打他个半死。第二，非暴力的beat one's brains out近似于中国话"责骂": This candidate has no chance to win this local election, with so many guys on the TV beating his brains out everyday. = 这次地方选举有那么多人在电视里骂他，这位侯选人不可能赢。第三，遇到难题时用这句，等同与中国话"绞尽脑汁"或"苦思冥想": He's been beating his brains out trying to make his girl-friend happy = 他苦思冥想要让他女朋友高兴。第三种用法里，beat one's brains out经常后跟doing something。注意，这里的"脑浆"一定要用复数。
4. beat the drum -- 中国有击鼓鸣冤一说，古戏里常有，有冤情者一通鼓把县老爷击出来升堂办案。英美人士也击鼓，击鼓也是为引人注意，但不是为鸣冤，而是为一些重大的meritorious and/or significant matters。比方说: The president said he will beat the drum to build public support for his education program 。所以，这beat the drum有点像"为某事(比如对社会有益的某项政策)鼓动造势"的意思。
5. beat the rap -- 这个rap可不是rap music中的rap! 是因错而来的责备和惩戒。如果某人干了坏事又能逃避惩罚，那他就是beat the rap了。美国的O. J. 曾是杀人嫌疑犯，但有人认为他用高价雇来好律师，最终逃脱了惩罚: People think that he had enough money and high-priced lawyers and so he was able to beat the rap. 再有，中国有些"人民公仆"常年多行不义，贪赃枉法。最终被揪时人们可以说: There's no way he can beat the rap any more. No one can save him now.
6. beat a dead horse -- 马都死了还抽打它干什么! 如有人这么干，那一定是在浪费时间。 例句1: Considering my article being denied so many times, I really think I'll be just beating a dead horse if I try to send it to any other publishers (except Wenxuecity). -- 考虑到我这篇文章已被拒这么多次，我真的认为再给其他出版商送稿是浪费时间(除了"文学城") 。例句2: I hate to beat a dead horse, but people in
7. beat a path to someone's door = 某人因某事造成轰动，使人们都想来一见尊容。例句1: If you put this low price in tomorrow's newspaper, I guarantee that you will have half the town beating your path to your door. = 如果你把降价的广告明天登报，那一准半个城市的人都来你店里。例句2: If you hit the lottery jackpot, the press will definitely beat a path to your door the next day. = 如果你中彩票头奖，那第二天记者一定会为来你家找你打破头。
8. beat someone at (some)one's own game -- 这意思接近于"你画出道道、你定(游戏)规则，我照样打败你"，也有点中国"以其人之道，还治其人之身"的味道。例句1: The new store reduced the price and started to give me a lot of pressure. However, I knew that if I matched its discount, I would be able to keep all my customers and beat this new competitor at its own game. = 新开张的这家店用低价给我很多压力。不过，我知道我只要跟着降价，就能留住我的顾客，并用这位竞争者自己的方式来打败它。例句2: He was the world champion and I was fully aware of his infamous physicality in his game, but I prepared myself enough and finally beat him in his own game. = 他是世界冠军，我也深知他比赛中那臭名昭著的野蛮，但我作了充分的准备并最后以他的方式战胜了他(也用了野蛮残酷的方式)。
9. beat someone hands down -- 不用手就能战胜对手，说明胜者太强，这胜利也来得太容易。 Yesterday I played tennis with him and he beat me hands down. He is too good for me. -- 昨天我跟他打了网球，他赢我太轻松了。我不是他的对手。
10. beat the shit out of someone -- 意思是把人打个半死，但这是句脏话。"把人严重打伤"可以说"beat someone severely"。 shit是什么? 就是excrement，存在于人的肠子里面。你要是把人的excrement都打出来了，还不得把人打死! 中国也有人会说这样的脏话: 我把你屎都打出来你信不信! 这句中文的英文翻译就是I'll beat the shit out of you! 英文还有一句意思相同的脏话: beat the hell out of someone。学语言吗，好话脏话都需要学点，脏话不提倡说，但也无法避免。打人更是要制止。
一个简单的打字，引出我这么一长篇废话。Hope I was not beating around the bush too much。这又打人又骂人的，别怪我，实在是英文有关 beat 的表达又多又精彩。
(完)
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