美国习惯用语:375 pay through the nose

我们今天要讲的几个习惯用语都带有同一个词: nose。各位早就知道nose是鼻子。它在我们的脸上占了引人注目的中心位置，难怪人们会围绕nose这个词组成了不少习惯用语。今天要讲的第一个是: pay through the nose. Pay解释“付钱。” 让我们通过一个例子来琢磨习惯用语pay through the nose含义是什么。

例句-1：Bob was so desperate for cash to pay six months overdue¹ rent that he borrowed money at the interest rate of 5% a week. And now he's paying through the nose: every week he's late he has to pay an extra 5%.

Bob由于拖欠了六个月的房租而不得不借了一笔利率很高的款子：每星期得付百分之五的利息，如果有一个星期逾期未付他还得额外再多交百分之五。

这种每星期百分之五的利率是大大高于一般利率的。所以说he's paying through the nose， 意思是他在付过高的代价。

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我们再学个习惯用语: cut off one's nose to spite² one's face。 Spite意思是故意伤害，cut off one's nose to spite one's face听起来就觉得这样做的人很可悲，想象一下割下了自己的鼻子，伤害的不正是自己的脸吗？ 好，我们听一段例子来体会它的含义。这段话说的是Mary一时冲动的举止给自己造成了什么后果。

例句-2：Mary got so mad at her boss she shouted at him in front of the whole staff. But she really cut off her nose to spite her face -- after that he blocked every chance she had for promotion³.

他说：Mary对老板大为生气，因此当众把老板大骂一通来泄恨，但是她的一时冲动反而伤害了自己，老板从此封闭了Mary所有的晋升机会。

Mary当著全体雇员的面对老板大吼大叫。她原意是想让老板当众出丑，但是后果是老板利用职权封杀了她的一切升迁机会，受害的反而是Mary自己。这样看来习惯用语cut off one's nose to spite one's face含义是一时冲动做了损害自己的事。

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我们接著学下一个习惯用语: plain as the nose on your face。 Plain在这儿的意思是显而易见、一清二楚的，鼻子竖在脸蛋儿的中央，当然是显而易见的。这就产生了这个作比喻用的习惯用语。我们来听个例子:

例句-3：It's plain as the nose on your face that Mark is better educated and more intelligent than most other people. His trouble is, he doesn't try to hide this and scares away bosses who aren't as smart.

他说：Mark学历才智都相当出众。这是一清二楚、显而易见的，但是他的问题在于锋芒毕露，以至把那些能力平庸的老板都吓跑了。

所以plain as the nose on your face意思是“一清二楚、”“显而易见的。”

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最后再学一个习惯用语: keep one's nose clean。这是个相当常用的习惯用语。我们听个例子来体会它的含义。这是个怒气冲冲爸爸在对儿子发火，因为他刚去警察局把老闯祸的儿子保了回来。

例句-4：Young man, this is the last time I'm going to bail⁴ you out of trouble! From now on, keep your nose clean or I'll just stand back and let you get fined and maybe get sent to jail.

他说：这可是我最后一次保你了。从今以后你别再惹麻烦，我再也不会出面帮你；我就让你付罚款，或者去坐牢。

显然这里习惯用语keep your nose clean意思是不招惹麻烦。
 

1 overdue   

adj.过期的，到期未付的；早该有的，迟到的

参考例句：

• The plane is overdue and has been delayed by the bad weather.飞机晚点了，被坏天气耽搁了。
• The landlady is angry because the rent is overdue.女房东生气了，因为房租过期未付。

2 spite   

n.（用于短语）虽然，不顾，尽管

参考例句：

• He has modern ideas in spite of his great age.尽管他年事很高，但思想观念却很入时。
• In spite of his anger,his remarks were restrained.他尽管生气，说的话还是有节制的。

3 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

4 bail   

v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人

参考例句：

• One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
• She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。