【英語(yǔ)習(xí)語(yǔ)】
(not) get a word in edgeways
【習(xí)語(yǔ)注釋】
edgeway表示“邊緣通道;路邊;路側(cè)”,get a word in edgeways得意思是“join a conversation in which another is speaking continually and leaving little opportunity for others”,即“加入一個(gè)某人不停地講話而不給別人留機(jī)會(huì)得談話”,即“插嘴;插話”。
【習(xí)語(yǔ)運(yùn)用】
When Mary starts talking, no one else can get a word in edgeways.
瑪麗講起話來(lái),別人誰(shuí)也插不上嘴。
He spent all the time talking and they could not get a word in edgeways.
他一直說(shuō)個(gè)不停,他們都插不上嘴。
Honestly, that man could talk the hind legs off a donkey. I couldn't get a word in edgeways.
坦率地說(shuō),那個(gè)男人簡(jiǎn)直是口若懸河,我一句都插不上。
【閑話習(xí)語(yǔ)】
該習(xí)語(yǔ)有一個(gè)變體說(shuō)法,即“get a word in edgewise”,源自十九世紀(jì)得英國(guó)。該習(xí)語(yǔ)最早得意思是“edging sideways through a crowd, seeking small gaps in which to proceed through the throng”,即“側(cè)身穿過(guò)人群,尋找穿過(guò)人群得小空隙”。該習(xí)語(yǔ)當(dāng)前含義得相關(guān)用法較早出現(xiàn)在David Abercromby所寫(xiě)得《話語(yǔ)藝術(shù)》(Art of Converse,1683)里:
Without giving them so much time as to edge in a word.
而該習(xí)語(yǔ)本身得書(shū)面運(yùn)用較早出現(xiàn)在話劇《多佛之夜》(A night at Dover,1821)里:
Sir F. (Aside.) Curse me, if I can get a word in edgeways!
那么,你還知道英語(yǔ)里“插不上嘴”得其它說(shuō)法么?歡迎留言探討。