【商業英語】善用慣用語 說話更地道 -Frankie Chan

https://hk.finance.yahoo.com/news/

慣用語是口語中的一種短小句型，一般比成語更生活化及簡明生動，並且通俗易懂。其實英文亦有慣用語，不過它是通過比喻或引申的方法表達意義，因此我們不可單靠字面推斷其意思。如果對英文慣用語不太熟悉，而只照字面意思胡亂使用，隨時可鬧出笑話來。這節就讓我們看看一些在職場和日常生活常用和有趣的慣用語。

1. 半吞半吐 Hum and ha

例子：Still, he hums and ha’s on the matter and does not tell the truth.

（他半吞半吐，仍不願講出事實的真相。）

1. 因小失大 Penny wise, pound foolish

例子：Education budget cuts are penny wise and pound foolish since public education is an investment in our future.

（大眾教育是對我們未來的一項投資，削減教育預算的做法的確是因小失大。）

1. 吝嗇小氣 Pinch pennies

例子：The company shouldn’t try to pinch pennies all the time.

（公司別再吝嗇小氣了，該花錢時還是得花。）

1. 寥寥可數 Few and far between

例子：She graduated at a time when jobs were few and far between.

（她畢業的時候，職位空缺得寥寥可數。）

1. 舉世無雙 Second to none

例子：This Michelin 3-star restaurant has the best food ever. It’s second to none.

（這米芝蓮三星的餐廳所烹調的食物非常出色，可謂舉世無雙。）

1. 精力充沛 Full of pep

例子：The department is surprisingly full of pep today.

（今天這個部門意外地精力充沛。）

1. 盡歡而散 Merry meet, merry part

例子：Merry meet, merry part.  Let’s have full enjoyment of the party.

（我們要盡歡而散，在派對內盡情玩樂吧。 ）

1. 搶先一步 Beat one to it

例子：We saw the online advertisement for the office and went to look at it but someone else had beaten us to it.

（我們看到網上的廣告，便去看看辦公室，可惜已有人搶先一步了。）

1. 節衣縮食 Pinch and scrape

例子：The new intern has always been pinching and scraping without ever wasting a single cent.

（那新實習生一向節衣縮食，從未浪費過一分錢。）

1. 低聲下氣 Bear and forbear

例子：Believe me.  The supervisor will bear and forbear to live at peace.

（信我吧。主管為了平安無事，會低聲下氣的。）

1. 一不做，二不休 In for a penny, in for a pound

例子：In for a penny, in for a pound. When taking a chance, you might as well go all the way.

（所謂一不做，二不休，把握了機會，就要全力以赴。）

1. 臨危不亂 Face the music

例子：When challenges come, there should be no skulking or dodging. Every man should face the music.

（挑戰到來時，我們不要偷懶或逃避，必須勇敢面對，臨危不亂。）

1. 一應俱全 Root-and-branch

例子：These proposals amount to be a root-and-branch reform of the company.

（在公司重組的問題上，大家的意見可謂一應俱全。）

1. 本性如此 A leopard cannot change his spots

例子：A leopard cannot change his spots, so don’t expect Freddy to show up for the event after missing most of the meetings.

除了成語外，慣用語亦是外籍人士在職場和日常生活中經常使用的。如果我們能善用慣用語，不但能令英語變得更地道，與外國客戶和上司交談時更會使人刮目相看。但大家切勿濫用，否則會有反效果，給人過分造作的印象。承接上節的內容，本節繼續為大家列出在職場和日常生活上常見的慣用語例子，希望大家能好好地掌握。

1. 放馬後炮 Wiser after event

例子：You can never predict how the game will end but you’re always wiser after the event.

（每次比賽你都不能預計比賽的結果，但當比賽一完，你就放馬後炮了。）

1. 一樣米養百樣人 Many men, many minds

例子：Many men, many minds. You can never understand why the client thinks in this way.

（正所謂一樣米養百樣人，你永遠都不會明白為何那客戶會這樣想。）

1. 三個臭皮匠，勝過一個諸葛亮 Two heads are better than one

例子：I asked the team to get together to brainstorm the project because two heads are better than one.

（三個臭皮匠，勝過一個諸葛亮，所以我才叫組員們聚集在一起就這個專案計畫集思廣益。)

1. 愛屋及烏 Love me, love my dog

例子：If you love her, you must accept everything about her, even her faults or weaknesses. Love her, love her dog.

（如果你愛她，就要接受她的一切，包括她的過錯和缺點。這就是愛屋及烏。）

1. 人多好辦事 Many hands make light work

例子：Many hands make light work. The boss gave each of the team members a part and the task was completed in just a few hours.

（所謂人多好辦事，老闆給每位組員各分配了一個部分，幾個小時後便把任務完成了。）

除了之前的慣用語，部分英語慣用語喜歡引用食物、植物、動物甚至人體五官，不過若細心留意，便會發覺該慣用的實際意思可能跟牠/它毫無關係。

1. 簡直沒有可能 （亦即「豬乸也會上樹」) Pigs might fly

例子：“I’ll return the money tomorrow, I promise.” “Yeah, and pigs might fly.”

（「我答應你， 明天一定會還錢。」「是嗎？豬乸也會上樹啦。」）

1. 井井有條 In apple-pie order

例子：The secretary kept all his belongings and notes in apple-pie order.

（那秘書把他的物件和筆記放得井井有條。）

1. 錦上添花 Gild the lily

例子：For such a beautiful lady, to use make-up would be to gild the lily.

（如此美麗的女士，化妝亦只是錦上添花。）

1. 獨善其身 Keep one’s nose clean

例子：If he doesn’t keep his nose clean, he may be in for trouble again.

（如果他不能獨善其身，便可能再次惹上麻煩。）

1. 家喻戶曉 On everyone’s lips

例子： Her success story is on everyone’s lips at this moment.

（她的成功故事現在已是家喻戶曉了。）

1. 膽小如鼠 Timid as a mouse

例子：Shy and quiet, this new receptionist is as timid as a mouse.

（這新接待員又怕羞又靜，更是膽小如鼠。）

1. 無動於中 Not turn a hair

例子：I was expecting the boss to be furious but she didn’t turn a hair.

（我以為老闆會怒氣沖沖，但她卻無動於中。）

1. 見過世面 Have seen the elephant

例子：The CEO has a range of experiences, good and bad, in her life. She has seen the elephants.

「總裁人生經驗豐富，好的壞的都遇過，是見過世面的人。」