Play It by Ear 见机行事
编辑:给力英语新闻 更新:2017年11月6日 作者:美国之音英语学习
调整语速:
Welcome to English in a Minute. 欢迎收听本期《一分钟英语》。
If you listen to American English, you probably have heard this phrase: " Play it by ear." 如果你听美式英语时,你有可能会听到这个短语“Play it by ear(见机行事)”。
What does it mean? Let's find out by listening to an American English conversation. 这是什么意思呢?让我们一起来听听下面的对话吧。
Hey, what do you want to do this weekend? A:嘿,你周末有什么计划么?
I don't know. We could see a movie or have dinner. Why don't we play it by ear? A: Sure. B:不知道呀。我们可以看看电影、吃顿饭。到时视情况再定(play it by ear),怎么样?A:好的。
"Play it by ear" means you aren't going to make a firm plan, but will decide what to do as you go along. “Play it by ear”的意思是你没有一个明确的计划,走一步看一步。
This idiom has a musical meaning too. 在音乐领域,这个俚语也有特定的含义。
When you don't have the written music for a song, but you play the notes that you think you've heard, you " play it by ear." 当你没有一首歌的乐谱时,你是凭借听过的记忆来弹奏这首曲子。你是“凭借自己的耳朵(听过的)来弹奏”(play it by ear)。
So when you are in a situation where you make a plan as you go, you're " playing it by ear". 所以当你处于走一步看一步的情形时,你就是在“即兴弹奏”(引申为:见机行事;play it by ear)。
And that's English in a Minute. 以上就是本期的《一分钟英语》。
More examples.
I didn't have time to prepare for the job interview. I will have to play it by ear. 我没时间为面试做准备,只好见机行事了。
He is a spur-of-the-moment kind of guy. He never has plans and plays everything by ear. 他干事喜欢心血来潮,从无计划,随机应变。