英语听力精选进阶版 11232

 

Gobsmacked 

Professor David Crystal 

English loves compound words: 'washing machine' and all that 

sort of thing. But when you get a compound word, the two parts 

of the compound are usually stylistically very homogeneous, in 

other words, they are the same style: formal first part – formal 

second part, and so on. You don't usually get a compound word 

where the first part is a slang thing and the second part is a 

rather ordinary or formal thing – they don't usually mix – but 

gobsmacked is a perfect exception to that rule.  

To be gobsmacked – it means to be astounded³, flabbergasted, 

speechless with amazement⁴. And what you've got is the perfectly 

ordinary word 'smacked²' (to smack¹) and a northern word 'gob'. 

Gob is the northern word for mouth. I used to live in Liverpool 

for many years and you'd say to people "ah, shut yer gob", you 

know, and it simply means, mouth. So, to be 'gobsmacked' is to 

be struck dumb as if by a smack in the face.  

Now, it's got a more general use these days than just in the north. I've heard it 

used throughout the south of England – I've heard it used abroad; it's now very 

widely used 'to be gobsmacked'. Now, why? Because it became a very fashionable 

expression by people on television, not  everybody on television, I'm thinking 

especially of people like sports person alities having a terrible day, something 

horrible happens: footballers in particular are always saying that they're 

gobsmacked at something happening. 

1 smack   

vt.拍，打，掴；咂嘴；vi.含有…意味；n.拍

参考例句：

• She gave him a smack on the face.她打了他一个嘴巴。
• I gave the fly a smack with the magazine.我用杂志拍了一下苍蝇。

2 smacked   

拍，打，掴( smack的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He smacked his lips but did not utter a word. 他吧嗒两下嘴，一声也不言语。
• She smacked a child's bottom. 她打孩子的屁股。

3 astounded   

v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶

参考例句：

• His arrogance astounded her. 他的傲慢使她震惊。
• How can you say that? I'm absolutely astounded. 你怎么能说出那种话？我感到大为震惊。

4 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。