迷你對話學地道口語第507期:老一套
Subject: It was all cut and dried.
迷你對話
A: The writing class is so boring. I am looking forward to something new.
寫作課很枯燥。我希望有些新東西。
B: Yes. It was cut and dried. I hate it.
是的,那都是老一套。我討厭這門課。
地道表達
cut and dried
1. 解詞釋義
Cut and dried的意思是“砍下和風乾”,源於伐木業。林間的樹木如要成爲商用木材,鋸下後必須先風吹乾,同時鋸下的木材得合乎長寬標準。由此,這種風乾後合乎標準的木材常用來比喻“言行不標新立異,某種結果已經在預料之中,某類影片成一種套路模式等等”。因此習語cut and dried的意思就是“老一套”,“根據老的辦法來形式”等。如果某事物被形容爲cut and dried,就是指這件事缺乏新鮮內容,已經沒有吸引人的地方了。對話中“It was all cut and dried.”的意思是“那是老一套。”
2. 拓展例句
e.g. The professor is cut and dried with a very cut-and-dry way of speaking.
教授爲人刻板,連說話都很刻板。
e.g. They make you think you're taking part in the decisions, but it's all cut and dried.
他們使你覺得你也參與決定, 其實早已內定了。
Ps:look forward to的意思是“期待,期盼”,to是介詞,後面跟動詞的話,就要使用這個動詞的動名詞形式。例如:
I look forward to paying you a visit next week. 我期待着下星期去拜訪你。
We look forward to the dawn of better days. 我們期待較好的日子的來臨。