与鼻子和耳朵有关的英语成语|Nose and Ear Expressions

Transcript：LRC   From：Words and Their Stories  Update:January 6,2024

与鼻子和耳朵有关的英语成语

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.
现在，这里是美国之音慢速英语词汇掌故节目。

A person’s nose is important for breathing and smelling. The nose is also used in many popular expressions.
鼻子对于人的呼吸和嗅觉来说很重要。和鼻子有关的日常短语也有不少。

Some people are able to lead other people by the nose. For example, if a wife leads her husband by the nose, she makes him do whatever she wants him to do.
有些人能牵着别人的鼻子走。比方说，如果一位妻子能够牵住她丈夫的鼻子，这意味着她可以让丈夫对她唯命是从。

Some people are said to be hard-nosed. They will not change their opinions or positions on anything. If someone is hard-nosed, chances are he will never pay through the nose, or pay too much money, for an object or service.
有些人被称为硬鼻子（固执）。它们不会轻易改变自己对人对事的看法和态度。如果说一个人鼻子硬（小气），通常表示他绝不会轻易花钱，或者说不会过多地把钱花在买东西和一些服务上。

It is always helpful when people keep their nose out of other people’s business. They do not interfere. The opposite of this is someone who noses around all the time. This kind of person is interested in other people’s private matters. He is considered nosey.
不过多去闻问别人事情往往是好的。这些人不多管闲事。与之相反的是到处嗅闻的人。这类人总好奇别人的隐私。人们会觉得他鼻子太灵了（太好管闲事）。

Someone who keeps his nose to the grindstone works very hard. This can help a worker keep his nose clean or stay out of trouble.
那些整天磨鼻子的人工作非常努力。因为这可以使他的鼻子保持干净，通常这些人不会身陷麻烦。

One unusual expression is that is no skin off my nose. This means that a situation does not affect or concern me. We also say that sometimes a person cuts off his nose to spite his face. That is, he makes a situation worse for himself by doing something foolish because he is angry.
还有个特别的短语：这连我鼻子都伤不着。意思是某一状况对我来说毫无影响毫不相关。我们还会说有时候人剐掉鼻子来责难自己的脸。这也就是说，一个人因为生气而做蠢事，最后反而把情况弄得更糟糕。

More problems can develop if a person looks down his nose at someone or something. The person acts like something is unimportant or worthless. This person might also turn up his nose at something that he considers not good enough. This person thinks he is better than everyone else. He has his nose in the air.
如果一个人轻视（look down one’s nose at）某人或某事，会产生额外的麻烦。这个人表现得好像一些东西是不重要或没有价值的。这个人也会认为某事不够好而看不上（turn up one’s nose at）。这个人认为自己比其他人都优秀，目中无人（has one’s nose in the air）。

In school, some students thumb their nose at their teacher.  They refuse to obey orders or do any work. Maybe these students do not know the correct answers. My mother always told me, if you study hard, the answers should be right under your nose or easily seen.
学校里，一些学生蔑视（thumb one’s nose at）老师，他们拒绝遵守秩序或做任何功课。也许这些学生不知道什么是正确的答案。妈妈经常告诉我，如果你努力学习，正确的答案应该就在鼻子底下（under one’s nose），很容易发现。

I think we have explained the nose expressions. What about ears? Well, I hope you are all ears or very interested in hearing more expressions. We might even put a bug in your ear or give you an idea about something. We also advise you to keep your ear to the ground. This means to be interested in what is happening around you and what people are thinking.
我认为我们已经解释了有关鼻子的短语。那么有关耳朵的短语呢？我希望大家全神贯注（all ears），有兴趣听听更多的短语。我们甚至会事先给你建议（put a bug in one’s ear），也就是给你一个关于某事的主意。我们也建议你注意新动向（keep one’s ear to the ground）。这是指关注你身边正在发生的事情以及人们的想法。

If you are a good person, you will lend an ear to your friends. You will listen to them when they have a problem they need to talk about. Our last expression is to play it by ear. This has two meanings. One is to play a song on a musical instrument by remembering the tune and not by reading the music. Play it by ear also means to decide what to do at the last minute instead of making detailed plans.
如果你是个不错的人，你会懂得倾听（lend an ear）你的朋友。当他们遇到问题，需要谈谈时，你会倾听。最后一个短语是“to play it by ear”。这个短语有两个意思。一个是指不看曲谱，凭记忆中的旋律用乐器弹奏一首歌曲。它还指不制定详细的计划，而在最后关头才做决定。

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Jill Moss. I’m Faith Lapidus.