Nerve: "勇氣可嘉"還是"厚顏無恥"
<P> 今天要講的習慣用語都有這樣一個詞nerve。Nerve通常解釋為“神經”，但是它也有“勇氣”的意思。例如在我們要學的第一個習慣用語: get up the nerve裏，它就表示“勇氣”。</P>
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<P> 例句-1：I'm trying to <STRONG>get up the nerve</STRONG>to walk in and tell my boss I want a 20% raise or I'll look for another job where they'll pay me what I'm really worth.</P>
<P> 我打算鼓起勇氣到老闆的辦公室去，告訴他我想加薪百分之二十，否則我就要另謀高就，到願意付給我應得報酬的地方去工作了。</P>
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<P> 有時候人們用work代替get，成為work up the nerve。我們再看個例子，說話的人很希望向他所鍾情的女孩求婚，但卻一直怯于啟齒。</P>
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<P> 例句-2：I've been going with Susan for three years and I'm crazy about her! For six months I've been trying to <STRONG>work up the nerve</STRONG>toask her to marry me, but I'm afraid all she'll do is laugh.</P>
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<P align=center><IMG src="http://gb.cri.cn/mmsource/images/2011/03/24/30/8041081631213906486.jpg"></P>
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<P> 我和蘇珊已經約會了三年了，我對她一往情深。最近六個月來我一直想鼓起勇氣開口向她求婚，但我老覺得難以啟齒，因為我怕她會一笑了之。</P>
<P> 我們再來學個習慣用語: have got a lot of nerve。在這個習慣用語裏，nerve不再解釋為“神經”或者“勇氣”，而是“魯莽”。</P>
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<P> 例句-3：You've really <STRONG>got a lot of nerve</STRONG>telling me I spend too much money! Remember, you are the one who goes up to New York every month and brings back a thousand dollars worth of stuff.</P>
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<P> 你也好意思說我花錢太多？你每個月都得去一次紐約，而且每次總要買一千多美元的東西！</P>
<P> 這兒have got a lot of nerve是用來指責對方厚臉皮，或者太魯莽的說法，這個習慣用語通常是爭論中用的。還有一個習慣用語和這個說法意思一樣，而且也常用在爭吵的時候。它是: of all the nerve。Of all the nerve和have got a lot of nerve都可以用來說對方太莽撞甚至厚顏無恥。</P>
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<P> 例句-4：<STRONG>Of all the nerve</STRONG>! How dare you criticize me for being late in the morning. You're the one who sneak out half an hour early - at least I work a full eight hours every day!</P>
<P> 真是大言不慚！你還說我早上遲到？你自己每天提前半小時就回家了，至少我每天都待夠八小時。</P>
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<P> 美國人還喜歡用chutzpah這個詞來代替nerve指責別人蠻橫或者厚顏無恥，看看下面的例子：</P>
<P> 例句-5：The man murdered his father and mother, but at his trial he <STRONG>had the chutzpah</STRONG>to tell the judge that he shouldn't be sent to prison because his parents were dead and he was an orphan.</P>
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<P> 這人謀害了他的父母，但是在審判中他竟然恬不知恥地對法官說，他不該坐牢，因為他父母雙亡，是個孤兒。</P>