“嘴”的故事

何苗

People use their mouths for many things. They eat， talk， shout and sing. They smile and they kiss. So， there are many expressions using the word “mouth” in English. Today， lets start with the word “mouth”.

嘴巴有很多用途，人们用嘴吃饭、谈话、呐喊、唱歌、微笑和亲吻。因此，英语中有很多表达中使用了“嘴”这个词。今天，我们就从“嘴”这个词说起吧。

Some of expressions using the word “mouth” in English are not so nice. For example， if you say bad things about a person， the person might protest （抗议；反对） and say “Do not badmouth me！”

在英语中，有些使用了“嘴”这个单词的短语不太友好。比如，如果你说某人不好的方面，这个人可能会抗议，说“不要说我坏话”。

Sometimes， people say something to a friend or family member that they later regret （后悔） because it hurts that persons feelings. Or they tell the person something they were not supposed to tell. The speaker might say “I really put my foot in my mouth this time.” If this should happen， the speaker might feel “down in the mouth”. In other words， he might feel sad for saying the wrong thing.

有时，在对朋友或家人说了什么过后，人们觉得后悔，因为这伤害了别人的感情。或者，他告诉了某人一些不该告诉的东西。这个发言者可能会说：“这次我真的说错话了”。如果发生这种情况，这个发言者可能会感到沮丧。换句话说，他可能为说错话而垂头丧气。

Another situation （情况） is when someone falsely claims another person said something. The other person might protest “I did not say that. Do not put words in my mouth！”

另一种情况是，当有人谎称别人说了什么时。别人可能会抗议：“我没有这样说。不要把这个话强加于我。”

Information （信息） is often spread through “word of mouth”. This is general communication between people， like friends talking to each other. “How did you hear about that new movie？” someone might ask. “Oh， by ‘word of mouth.” A more official way of getting information is through a company or government mouthpiece. This is an official spokes person. Government-run （政府运作的） media could also be called “a mouthpiece”.

信息往往是通过口耳相传传播，这是人们之间的日常沟通方式，比如朋友之间互相交谈。“你是怎么听说那部新电影的？”有人可能会问。“哦，通过口耳相传。”更正式的获取信息的方式是通过公司或政府的“喉舌”，这个“喉舌”是指官方发言人。政府开办的媒体也可以被称为喉舌。

Sometimes when one person is speaking， he says the same thing that his friend was going to say. When this happens， the friend might say “You took the words right out of my mouth！” Sometimes a person has a bad or unpleasant experience with another person. He might say that experience “left a bad taste in my mouth”.

有时某人说出了他朋友正要说的话。发生这种情况时，他的朋友可能会说：“我也正想这么说。”有时某人跟另一人之间有不愉快的经历，他可能说那种经历“给我留下了一个坏印象”。

Or the person might have had a very frightening （可怕的） experience， like being chased by an angry dog. He might say “I had my heart in my mouth”.

或者某人可能有过一段非常可怕的经历，例如被一只疯狗追赶，他可能会说，“我的心都快跳到嗓子眼了。”

Some people have lots of money because they were born into a very rich family. There is an expression for this， too. You might say such a person was “born with a silver spoon in his mouth”.

有些人出生在一个非常富有的家庭而有很多钱。有句短语正好形容这种情况。你可能会说这个人“含着金汤匙出生”。

This rich person is the opposite （相反的） of a person who lives “from hand to mouth”. This person is very poor and only has enough money for the most important things in life—like food.

与富人相反的则是仅能“糊口”的人，这类人非常贫穷，他的钱刚够购买生活最需要东西，例如食物。

Parents might sometimes withhold （扣留） sweet food from a child as a form of punishment for saying bad things. For example， if a child says things she should not say to her parents， she might be described as “a mouthy child”. The parents might even tell the child to “stop mouthing off”.

家长有时会扣押孩子的甜食作为对孩子说坏话的一种惩罚。例如，如果一个孩子对她的父母说了不该说的东西，她可能会被视为“多嘴的孩子”。孩子的家长甚至可能会告诉孩子“不要再胡说了”。

But enough of all this. I have been running my mouth long enough.

这次说得够多的了，我说起来没完没了。

Now， its your turn to guess the meanings of the expressions about the word “mouth”！ 下面，轮到你来说一说文中与“嘴”一词有关的表达方式的意思了！

参 考 释 义

1. badmouth sb. 说某人的坏话

2. put ones foot in ones mouth 失言；说错话

注：这个成语是从另一个成语“put ones foot in it”衍生出来的。“Put ones foot in it”本来是指一不小心一脚踩在污水上面，现在英国人也直接用这个成语来表达“说错话”。put ones foot in ones mouth就是一不小心一脚踩在自己的嘴巴上了，也就是说错话，美国人更习惯这种用法。

3. down in the mouth 垂头丧气

4. put words in ones mouth 教某人怎样讲

5. word of mouth 口头语

6. mouthpiece 喉舌

7. You took the words right out of my mouth. 你说出了我想说的话。

8. leave a bad taste in ones mouth 给某人留下不好的印象

9. have ones heart in ones mouth 提心吊胆

10. born with a silver spoon in ones mouth 含着金钥匙出生，表示出生于富贵之家

11. from hand to mouth 朝不保夕；仅能糊口

12. mouthy 爱说话的

13. mouth off 大发议论；大嘴巴

14. run ones mouth 大嘴巴；说得太多