中文说--let one's hair down 和 push one's buttons
(2007-05-23 04:33:49)
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在5月19日的报纸‘The Modesto Bee’上看到这么一个句子:
When he really let his hair down, he really had a great sense of humor and when he was really determined he could really mash people's buttons.
句子里的let one's hair down和mash one's buttons中文怎么表达呢?
旧时妇女多数都留有长发。一般人们认为妇女在公共场合应保持端庄稳重的形象,因而如果她们要去参加较为正式的聚会时,就会认认真真地梳洗一番,将头发做成各种精美的发式 wearing their long hair pinned up in a variety of styles 。只有平时在家时才能将头发随意地散下来and taking it down only in the privacy of the bedroom。所以 let one's hair down 就用来表示‘不拘礼节、无拘无束’ to give free expression to one's private views; to behave informally。
Kings and queens can seldom let their hair down. 国王和女王难得有自由自在的时候。
Sally, we've been good friends for a long time. But lately I get the idea you are very much upset with me. I wish you'd let your hair down and tell me what's wrong to make you feel this way.
萨丽,我们多年来一直是好朋友,可最近我感到你对我非常不高兴。我希望你能坦率地告诉我,到底是些什么事使你这么不高兴。
而 mash someone's buttons 在字典里根本查不到。请教了美国人,被告知一般他们用push sb's buttons,一般字典里也没有收录。
折腾半天,在dict.cn上查到是--使某人行动起来。好不容易又在The Free Dictionary网站searched 到:
to do exactly the right thing to get people to act the way you want.
--He was an extremely good speaker and knew just how to push an audience's buttons to keep them interested.
Usage notes: also used in the form know what buttons to push:
--People in your own family know exactly what buttons to push to upset you.
我请教了一美国朋友,他给了一个例子:
Oh, man. He really pushed my buttons , which means He really made me mad or upset.
(补充:)一朋友从一本八卦杂志上找到一个句子:Brazen beauty knows how to push Baldwin's buttons.(Baldwin是好莱坞的名人。)
push sb's buttons 中文该如何表达?