面包、奶油、鸡蛋、培根⋯⋯含有这些好吃食材的谚语们究竟是什么意思呢?

文|希平方

看完后,有没有觉得食指大动、跃跃欲试呢?在学料理的同时,也和希平方一起学习各种与饮食有关的片语吧!


图片|作者提供

bread and butter

在许多西方国家,抹上奶油的面包是几乎每天都会食用的主食,这也是为什么 bread and butter 衍伸的片语意思是“谋生的职业”、“主要收入的来源”,举个例子:

She is a musician on weekends, but being a tutor is her bread and butter.(她在周末时是个音乐家,但家教是她谋生的职业。)

I work as a hairdresser in a small town, and the neighborhood is my bread and butter.(我在一个小镇上担任发型设计师,街坊邻居是我主要的收入来源。)

bring home the bacon

许多西方人也常食用培根,算是主要的蛋白质来源,那么把这么重要的食物带回家 bring home the bacon 的衍伸意思就是“养家活口”,举个例子:

My mother works hard every day to bring home the bacon.(我的母亲每天认真工作以养家活口。)

These days, it is pretty common that both the husband and wife bring home the bacon.(现在,夫妻俩都有工作收入是相当普遍的。)

spice something up

料理美味的诀窍除了食材外,更在于调味、添加香料(spice),让料理的味道变得更丰富、浓郁。而 spice 这个字衍伸出来的片语 spice something up 就是指“为⋯⋯增添趣味”,举个例子:

Jimmy loves to spice his lessons up by telling some silly jokes or stories.(Jimmy 喜欢在上课时讲一些愚蠢的笑话或故事来增添趣味。)

另外,当名词时 spice 也有“额外的刺激、趣味”的意思,举例来说:

The juicy gossip added a little spice to the mundane office life.(这精彩的八卦为单调的办公室生活增加了一点乐趣。)

put all your eggs in one basket

不论在东西方,鸡蛋都是相当重要的营养来源。如果把这么重要又脆弱的食物全都放在一个篮子里,不小心摔破后岂不是损失惨重?所以 put all your eggs in one basket 衍伸的片语意思就是“孤注一掷”、“将所有资源、希望集中在一个地方”,举个例子:

I've applied to several companies because I don't want to put all my eggs in one basket.(我应征了许多间公司,因为我不想把所有希望都赌在某一间公司。)

Don't focus on a single stock; it is not wise to put all your eggs in one basket.(别只关注单一股票;孤注一掷并不明智。)

someone's cup of tea

看了这么多食物的谚语后,是不是该来一杯茶呢?在英文里,someone's cup of tea 的片语意思是“某人的偏好、喜好”,常常会用于否定句中,举个例子:

She loves Game of Thrones, but The Witcher isn't really her cup of tea.(她很热爱《权力游戏》,但她不是很喜欢《猎魔士》。)

Thanks for inviting me, but clubbing isn't my cup of tea.(谢谢你邀请我,但我不太喜欢上夜店。)

将这些实用的片语学起来后,别忘了好好吃一餐犒赏辛苦的自己吧!