TheDifferentMeaningsofEnglishIdiomsWithorWithoutArticles-精品文档

1、The Different Meanings of English IdiomsWith or Without Articles: An idiom is one of the most colorful words in different kinds of languages. Usually, it conveys the human race s history, culture, customs, politics, etc. So, ithas many characteristics.A brief introductionof Englishidioms is at first

2、 in this discussion. And some knowledge of articles follows. This paper focuses on one of idioms characteristics, which are the different meanings of English idioms with or without articles.English idioms have many origins. As to the forms of idioms, colloquialisms, proverbs, slang, and other fixed

3、phrases, which are often neglected in other books, are also taken into consideration in this paper.All these mentioned above are served to achieve two purposes: they enable us to have an exact understanding of English idioms and to use them correctly.s: idiom; article; understanding; useClassificati

4、on number ：TQ425.6+9Document code： AI. IntroductionII.A Knowledge of English Idioms and Articles2.1. A Brief Introduction of English Idioms2.1.1. What is an idiom?An idiom is a phrase or sentence whose meaning is not clear from the meaning of its individual words and which must be learnt as a whole

5、unit. For example, “skate on thin ice ”. If we translate this phrase word by word, we can know it means “在薄冰上滑冰” . But in fact, it means “adventure ”. “Skate on thin ice ” is very dangerous; on the other word, it s a kind of adventure. Some idioms are the same, as “Look for a needle in a haystack”（大

6、海捞针）, “like father, like son”（有其父 ,必有其子）, “Arolling stone gathers no moss”（滚石不生苔 ）, and so on.2.1.2. The Categories of English IdiomsDifferent people have different opinions about this.Here, in this paper, we divide it into three types: colloquialism, proverbs, and slang. The topic of this paper is

7、discussed following the dividing.2.1.3. The Characteristics of English IdiomsIdioms have lots of characteristics, but the main ones are three:2.1.3.1. Structural StabilityThe structures of idioms are rather stabled. So idiomsare often regarded as“fixed phrases ”. We discuss thisin the following thre

8、e aspects:1）The arrangement of words in idioms can not be changed. If it s changed, t he meaning will be no longer. Such as “before long ”, it means “不久以后” , but “long before ” means “在很久以前” . Moreover, “weve got to thank him for it ” and “weve got him to thank for it ”. Just changing the place of“h

9、im”, the meanings arecontradicted. The form er means “我们为此应向他致谢” ,and the later means “这事是被他弄糟的” .2）Can not add or delete words at will. This will be discussed in later paragraph.3）Can not replace words as one pleases. We can not change the phrase “slow coach（ 迟钝、愚笨的人 ） ” into “slow carriage ” . And

10、 also we can not replace the word “lay ” in “lay a foundation（ 打下基础） ” by “set”, “put”, or “place ”, etc. Some idioms have similar structures, and even have same meanings, such as“burnones boats ” and “burn ones bridges ”. Both mean “破 釜沉舟”. But that doesn t mean when we replace the word “boats ” in

11、 “burn one s boats ” by “bridges ”, we get the new idiom “burn one s bridges ” which has the samemeaning as the former. By the way, some idioms can be changed. Such as “make up ones mind” can be changed into “make up our minds”, “made up ones mind”, or “making up ones mind”. There are many examples,

12、 like “a stitch in time saves nine” （及时一针可省却九针 ）= “a word in time saves nine” （关键时说句话可省却将来许多口舌 ）, “a living dog is better than a dead lion ” （好死不如赖活 ）= “the dead lion is i n preference to the live dog” （ 宁要死狮而不要活狗）.2.1.3.2. Content UnityContent unity means that we cant translate idiomsjust word by w

13、ord. For example,“walls have ears ”. Theliteral meaning is “墙壁有耳朵” . It seems very funny. In fact, the purpose of this idiom is to tell you must be careful when you do something. It means someone will listen to your secret secretly. There are so many examples, such as “two heads are better than one”

14、, it means the more the people are, the more the methods are. So, only considering it as a unity, we can get the correct meaning.2.1.3.3. Understanding DifficultyThe reasons of this are the following aspects:Every idiom has its own background when it formed, andit contains some special meaning. When

15、t ime flies, the old time is far away. So its difficult to understand thespecial meaning. Such as“get down to brass tacks ”（直截了当）. If you dont know the words “brass tacks ” mean “things which are no doubt about ” （勿庸置疑的事实 ） in old London , you never know its meaning.Because some idioms have such fea

16、tures as strong nationalities, the place and history, etc., making them difficult to understand. For example, the literal meaning of “to carry coals to Newcastle ” is “运煤到纽卡索” . If you dont know Newcastle is the coal centre ofBritain,it is very difficult to know the meaning of this idiom is “unneces

17、sary, too.Because diverged from the context used at first or forgotten the historical incidents produced, some idioms become difficult to understand.Because of the expression privileges, that is to say the expression meaning goes beyond the literal meaning, and makes some idioms difficult to underst

18、and.Some idioms include allusion. If dont understandallusion, it is very difficult to understand and master its meaning, even scarcely know what one has said.Because idioms often use metaphor, that makes it difficult to understand. A Brief Introduction of ArticlesArticle is a specialized word in gra

19、mmar. It contains definite article“the”, indefinite articles“a/an ”,and zero article. It used to limit the core word of the noun phrases. Example, “苹果” - apple, “一个苹果” -an apple, “这苹果” -the apple, and so on.III. The Different Meanings Whether There AreArticles in English IdiomsThe article is the lea

20、st one in number of all kinds of words. But, it s very important in a sentence. Of the same structures, whether having or having no articles, their meanings are very different.Wed iscuss it in the followingways.3.1. Articles in Colloquialismsa. Definite Art icle “the”For examples,in the charge of（被管

21、理）; in charge of（管理）a. I have placed the documents in the charge of my bank manager.b. The nurse was left in charge of the children.in the flesh（ 本人 ）; in flesh（肥胖 ）a. It was quite a thrill to see a real movie star in the flesh.b. The man is in flesh.The second sentence means the man is fat. If we c

22、hange those two phrases in the two sentences, the first one means that to see a movie star become fat is a very happy thing. That s really fu nny.3. in the future（将来）; in future（ 以后）a. No one knows what will happen in the future.b. You must be more careful in future.4. in the front of（在前部 ）; in fron

23、t of（在前面 ）a. There was a large hole in the front of the building.b. The children streamed into the zoo, with the teacher in front of them.5. in the red（亏损）; in red（身穿红色衣服 ）a. The company had been operating in the red until he took over.b. Haven t you seen the little girl in red?6. in the drink（在海里 ）

24、; in drink（ 喝醉 ）a. The warship is now in the drink.b. It was impossible for him to keep a secret when he was in drink.Be cautious about the two phrases. When you write to your parents, dont be abused by these two phrases. If you write “I m very sad when my gir lfriend say goodbye to me, so I m in th

25、e drink ”. Your parents will think that you want to be suicide.7. in the character of（扮演）; in character of（符合）a. He scored a great success in the character of a Cockey workman.b. The way you tell me he acted towards you is quite in character.8. in the name of（以名义 ）; in name of（ 有名无实 ）a. I arrest you

26、 in the name of the law.b. The captain of the ship was captain in name of only, for he exercised no authority.9. in the pink（健康 ）; in pink（ 粉红衣着 ）a. Dorothy and her family are all in the pink.b. She appeared in pink today.10. in the sight of（在看来 ）; in sight of（看得见 ）a. All men are equal in the sight

27、of God.b. We are in sight of the enemy.11. in the view of（按意见 ）; in view of（ 考虑到 ）a. In the view of the magistrate the offence was not a serious one.b. In view of the prisoner s good character hitherto, he was placed on probation.12. in the secret（ 参与秘密 ）; in secret（ 私下的 ）a. Is you brother in the se

28、cret?b. The treaty was negotiated in secret.13. in the rough（ 未加工的 ）; in rough（ 粗略的 ）a. The lumber in the rough has been conveyed to the construction site.b. I ve got the essay written out in rough but I have yet to revise it.14. in the time of（在时代 ）; in time（ 及时 ）a. The great exhibition was held in

29、 the time of Queen Elizabeth.b. He got back in time for the meeting.15. in the case of（至于）; in case of（ 防备）a. Poverty depressed most people; in the case of my father it was otherwise.b. Always keep a bucket of water handy, in case of fire.16. in the possession of（ 被占有 ）; in possession of（ 占有）a. All

30、the deeds are in the possession of my solicitor.b. When in possession of new machines, we can double our production.17. on the board（ 在会上讨论 ）; on board（ 在船上 ）a. The point will be on the board at the next meeting of the Directors.b. On his first night on board he didnt sleep verymuch.18. on the occas

31、ion of（在. 之际）; on occasion（s）（有时）a. This was given us as a present on the occasion of our silver wedding.b. We no longer keep up the close friendship of a fewyears ago, though we still visit each other on occasion（s）.19. behind the times（ 落后于时代 ）; behind time（ 迟延的 ） a. His views on education are rid

32、iculously behind the times.b. He is always behind time with his payments.20. out of the question（不可能 ）; out of question（无可怀疑的 ）a. I have so much work to do that a holiday for me this year is out of the question.b. He is out of question the greatest authority on this subject now living.21. by the sea

33、（ 在海边 ）; by sea（ 乘船 ）a. He lived in a small town by the sea.b. We often travel by sea.22. take the place of（取代）; take place（ 发生）a. The soldier took the place of the squad leader and led his comrades to launch a counter-attack.b. Gigantic changes have taken place in our country.23. take the air（ 呼吸新鲜

34、空气 ）; take air（ 传播 ）a. At the door of the engine room, the engineer sat smoking a pipe and taking the air.b. The matter has taken air somehow. Everyone seems to know about it.24. to keep the house（不出门 ）; to keep house（ 料理家务）a. The doctor told him to keep the house for three days.b. She is keeping ho

35、use for us at present.25. to go to the sea（去海边 ）; to go to sea（去当水手 ）a. Shall we go to the sea after supper?b. As a boy his great ambition was to go to sea.26. by the hand（ 握着手 ）; by hand（ 手工的 ）a. The mother took her child by the hand across the street.b. Are you socks knitted by hand or machine-mad

36、e?27. at the cost of（以为代价 ）; at cost（ 按成本 ）a. He saved the lives of his friends at the cost of his own.b. I will sell this remnant to you, at cost.28. at the hand（s） of（在手下 ）; at hand（ 手边的 ）a. My mother died at the hands of the imperialists.b. I haven t my book at hand but Ill sho w it to youlater.2

37、9. at the table（ 在桌子旁 ）; at table（ 正在就餐 ） a. The teacher sat at the table reading a book.b. They were at table when we called.Wheny ou are having supper, your friends ask you to play basketball, dont say “I am at the table ”. If that, your friends will wait for you for a long time.b. Indefinite Arti

38、cles“a/an ”For examples1. in a word（ 总之）; in word 口头a. In a word, while the prospects are bright, the roadhas twist and turns.b. He is faithful in word and deed.2. in a kind（ 有几分 ）; in kind（ 以货代款 ）a. What he says, is in a kind, insult.b. He wanted payment in kind, so we gave him some fresh eggs.3. i

39、n a pickle（脏透 ）; in pickle（在醋或盐水里浸泡 ）a. The boy was in a pickle as the result of sliding down the muddy bank.b. Put those turnips in pickle.4. in a body（ 一起 ）; in body（ 亲自 ）a. All the delegates came into the assembly hall in a body.b. The boy told nobody and went to town in body.5. in a fashion（略微）;

40、 in fashion（时髦 ）a. She can play the piano in a fashion.b. Long skirts for women are no longer in fashion.6. of a age（ 同龄 ）; of age（ 成年 ）a. They two are of a age.b. John will be of age on his next birthday.7. with a child（和一个孩子 ）; with child（妊娠的 ）a. The door opened, in came an old lady with a child.b

41、. Being with child, she received a preferentialtreatment.8. to have a word（ 同说几句话 ）; to have word（ 听说） a. Could I have a word with your father?b. We had word that he had gone abroad.9. to have a time（有麻烦 ）; to have time（有时间 ）a. Poor Susan had a time trying to get the children to go to bed.b. Leave i

42、t to me, please. I have time to do it.Whens ome one you falling love with ask you for a date, do say “I have time ”. Don t mistake it by“have atime ”.3.2. Articles in ProverbsFor examples,1. Four short words sum up what has lifted mostsuccessful individuals above the crowd: a little bit more.In this

43、 sentence,“a little bit more” shouldn t bereplaced by “little bit more”. “A little bit more”means “slightly, rather”, but “little bitmore” means“almost no ”.2. A merry heart goes all the way.“All the way ” means “all the time, always”. If wechange it into “all way ”, the meaning of this sentence wil

44、l be changed. Because that“all way ” means “al l themethod, style, or manner of doing something”3. A man cant spin and reel at the same time.The sentence means one cant do two things well at the same time. Also, “at same time ” cant replace the original words.4. An hour in the morning is worth two i

45、n the evening.Wem ust say “in the morning ” and “in the evening ”.If we delete“the”, there is a grammatical mistake.3.3. Articles in SlangFor examples,1. get a load of: try; check out, togive attention tosomething because it is interestingA: Check this out, man. My uncle gave me thiscrotch-rocket as

46、 a birthday present.B: Wow, that s awesome. Can I get a load of?get load of: a lot of, many, numerous2. the man(The man): someone who has the ability overyouA: OK. Your car is fixed. There should be no more problem now.B: Youve got it taken care of just like that? Youre the man.man: human beings3. f

47、or a song: very cheapI bought this house for a song.Wek now that “for ” is a preposition, and “song” is a noun. Whent he two words band together, “for song”, we can just consider it as a phrase. The meaning is not“ata very low price ”.3.4. Colloquialisms, proverbs, and slang do often appear in the p

48、art of listening of TEM4. Its verydifficult to understand the meaning correctly. Here are some examples.1. You will hear: Oscar was the first customer at the dinner, so his lunch was on the house.You will read: What does the statement mean?A: Oscar was the first customer at the dinner.B: Oscar was i

49、n the cafeteria.C: Oscar had dinner on the roof.D: The owner paid for Oscar s lunch.The answer is D. We know the is “on the house”. It seems very familiar with the word, so some body will choose“C”. The words “on the house” and “on house” are very different. “On house” means “on the roof of a house”,but “on the house ” means free.2. You will hear: I am in a fog over these accounts;perhaps you can explain to me your system of book-keeping.You will read: What does the speaker say?A: He doesn t know how to count.B: He doesn t know how to keep acc