迷你对话学地道口语第309期:一鸣惊人

　　迷你对话
A: Tom set the whole country by the ears with his discovery¹.
约翰的发明震惊了全国。
B: He is really terrific²!
他真行。
A: He was very clever when he was a boy.
他小的时候就非常聪明。
对话精讲
第一、 习惯用语
set by ears
第二、 解词释义
此语源于一个斗狗的故事。有两个好事之徒以狗打架赌博，就分别揪住狗的耳朵让它们相斗。转义为“使人争吵，使人不和”，还可以表示“因新发现而引起轰动或使人震惊”之意。
第三、 支持范例
释义1：使人争吵，使人不和
e.g.During his short stay, Philip set us all by the ears.
菲利普在这时短期逗留期间，搬弄是非，搞得大家不得安宁。
e.g.They got on well enough together until the question of promotion³ set them all by the ears.
他们原来一直相处得很好，后来提职一事引起了他们之间的不和。
e.g.Uncle always seems to set the family by the ears.
叔叔好像总是使一家人不和。
e.g.She set the whole neighborhood by the ears.
她使四邻不和。
释义2：使人震惊，一鸣惊人
e.g.He seemed a very lively young man, certain of his own abilities and eager⁴ to set people by the ears.
看来他是个非常活跃的青年，对自己的能力十分自信，且急于一鸣惊人。
e.g.He set the whole city the ears with beating the champion.
他击败了冠军而一鸣惊人。

1 discovery   

n.发现，发觉；被发现的事物；发明

参考例句：

• I congratulate you on your great discovery.我祝贺你的伟大发现。
• It is a discovery that made medical history.这是载入医学史册的重大发现。

2 terrific   

adj.可怕的，极好的，非常的

参考例句：

• The game was terrific.那场比赛棒极了。
• Darren drove at a terrific speed.达伦以惊人的速度驾车。

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 eager   

adj.热切的，渴望的，热心的，热情洋溢的

参考例句：

• He was eager to match his knowledge against mine. 他很想和我比比，看谁的知识更丰富。
• Now she was back,eager to see her friends.现在她回来了，急切地想见朋友们。