如何掌握暗喻提升口语和写作水平

上次简单地介绍了一些英语暗喻的用法实例，这次我们继续，并且讨论拟人的用法。

1.You need to budget your time.做一下时间上的安排

budget原意是“做预算”，这里就是说“做一下时间上的安排”

2.Put aside some time for ping pong.预留一些时间

put aside原先和money搭配，比如：Put aside some money for your retirement. 表示“存钱”，这里的意思就是要“预留一些时间”

3.Is that worth your while?这样做，对你有好处吗

while原意表示“一段时间”，这里意思就是说“这值得你去这样做吗？”或者说“这样做，对你有好处吗？”

4.Do you have much time left?

5.He's living on borrowed time.他可能不久就要过世了。（大限已近）

(living) on borrowed time或者be on borrowed time的意思就是说“很可能要失败了或者说很可能要死了。”比如：The government is living on borrowed time. 这个政府可能马上就要倒台了。

6.You don't use your time profitably.你没有有效利用时间。

profitable原意是指“有利润的；赢利的”

7.I lost a lot of time when I got sick.

8.Thank you for your time.

Personification 拟人

1.His theory explained to me the behaviors of chickens raised in factories.

2.This fact argues against the standard theories.

3.Life has cheated me.

4.Inflation is eating up our profits.通货膨胀把利润都抵消了

Eat up原意是“吃完”的意思，这里就是“通货膨胀把利润都抵消了。”

5.His religion tells him that he cannot drink fine French wines.

6.The Michelson-Morley experiment gave birth to a new physical theory.

7.Cancer finally caught up with him.

这里的catch up with 表示 “对。。。产生影响”

8.Inflation has attacked the foundation of our economy.

9.Inflation has pinned us to the wall.面对通货膨胀，我们无能为力

10.Pin someone to something 原意指的是“使某人不能动弹，按住某人”，这里的意思就是说“面对通货膨胀，我们无能为力。”

11.Our biggest enemy right now is inflation.

12.The dollar has been destroyed by inflation.

13.Inflation has robbed me of my savings.

14.Inflation has outwitted the best economic minds in the country.即使这个国家最好的经济界的精英也无法对付通货膨胀

Outwit指的是“（智力上）超过，胜过”，这里的意思就是说“即使这个国家最好的经济界的精英也无法对付通货膨胀。”

15.Inflation has given birth to a money-minded generation.