迷你对话学地道口语第309期:一鸣惊人

（单词翻译）

　　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。