英语早间课堂:教您一招说金钱(3)
资本主义社会奉信金钱万能(money talks)，他们认为私人财产是神圣不可侵犯的。而社会主义社会崇尚精神领域的东西，倡导崇高的道德标准，比如要以己奉公，诚信，可靠，说话算数。那么“说话算数”用地道美语怎么说呢?这正是我今天要抛出的说“金钱”的招。
我们就先来听2个例子：
抛招-1：Jack, you're talking big about how great your team is and how bad they'll beat my team Saturday. Okay, let's bet fifty dollars on who wins. Let's see you put your money where your mouth is!
注释1：talk big：吹牛，说大话 talk big about：吹牛说.....，说......的大话
Eg . He loved to talk big and brag about a variety of things to other people. 他喜欢说大话，很多事情都喜欢跟人乱掰一通。
Eg . Tybalt likes to talk big and wouldn't stand a chance against Romeo! 提伯特喜欢说大话，他绝不是罗密欧的对手!
注释2：bet some money on sth：用多少钱做打赌......
Eg. I will bet 100 dollars on getting through the final exams this term. 我敢用100元来打赌我这个学期期末考试可以及格。
(译：杰克，你说了那末多大话，说你们球队有多好，他们星期六会如何把我的球队打得惨败。行，我们拿五十块钱来打赌，看看到底谁赢。让我们来看看你的话到底是不是确实。)
抛招-2：The governor of our State talks about the need to improve public education but puts no money where his mouth is. He simply uses education as a reason to raise taxes but he never intends to spend money on it.
注释1：public education：公共教育 use... as：利用......作为 raise tax：增加税收 spend some money on sth：把钱花在......
注释2：put no money where one's mouth is：说话不算数，没有实际行动
Eg . If you put money where your mouth is this time, it is hard to make me buy your story again. 如果你这次说话不算数，那么再要让我相信你很难了。
(译：我们州的州长老是说有必要改进公共教育，但是在这方面并没有实际行动。他只是利用教育作为增加税收的理由，但是从来也没有把钱用在教育工作上的意图。)
接招：上面的2个例句中都用到了同一个词语：put one's money where one's mouth is。这是一条动词性习惯用语。从字面上看，这个语的意思是把某人的钱放在他的嘴边。我们知道，人们常用钱来打赌表示肯定会做某事, 如果你告诉别人你能做某事或你相信某事，那么一个好办法就是用钱作赌注，表示你支持自己的说法，让别人相信自己。这个习语的意思正是来自于此种概念，意思是“说话算话，许下的话要算数，用行动支持你的说法。注意，这个习语特别是指某人采取实际行动来完成曾经许诺过的。其英文解释是这样的：The idiom is used to show one’s support for what you say or something that you really believe through your actions, rather than just one’s words.
名著Life 中就有这么一句话：The daughter usually reacts by bringing home a series of unsuitable males to see if Daddy will put his money where his mouth is.女儿通常会把好几个不合适的男子带回家，看看爸爸是否会说话算数。
下面我们再来看2个例句来熟悉这个习语的意思以及看这个习语的运用。
The governor agreed with our plan, but till now he hasn’t put his money where his mouth is.
这位政府官员同意了我们的计划，但直到现在他还没有说话算数。
Now that you have promised that you would go exercising every day, it is now the time to put your money where your mouth is. Let's go!
既然你已经承诺要每天去锻炼，现在是说话算数，采取实际行动支持你说法的时候了。走吧!
好，亲爱的朋友们，我们今天的这招说“金钱”——put one's money where one's mouth is，我想您一定接住了。那么特此邀请您明天再来接招。我们明天再见!
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