词语掌故解析：和蔬果有关的表达

　　Today wewill talk about expressions that use vegetables and fruits.

　　For example,a cucumber is a long, green vegetable thatpeople often eat in salads. You might say a person is ascool as a cucumber if he never seems to worry about anything and stayscalm in a stressful situation. If you put a cucumber in a solution of vinegar and spices for a long time, it becomes a pickle. But if you are in a pickle, you are in trouble or a difficult situation.

　　cucumber:黄瓜

　　ascool as a cucumber: never seems to worry about anything and stays calm in astressful situation镇定自若

　　vinegar：醋（注意拼写）

　　pickle:泡菜

　　ina pickle: 处于困境之中

　　If 2 peopleare very similar, you might say they are like 2peas in a pod.

　　twopeas in a pod:一个豆荚里的两颗豌豆，表示两人相像

　　There areseveral expressions about beans. If someone is very energetic, you might sayshe is full of beans. If you say something does not amount to a hill of beans, you mean it isof little importance. I might say you don't knowbeans about a subject if you do not know anything at all about it. Butif you spill the beans, you tell somethingthat was supposed to be a secret.

　　fullof beans: 精力旺盛

　　doesnot amount to a hill of beans: 一文不值

　　don'tknow beans about a subject：一窍不通

　　spillthe beans: 泄密

　　Potatoes area popular food in many areas. But something is considered small potatoes if it is not important. Youprobably would not want to hold a hot potato in your bare hands. This also means a problem or issue that no one wants todeal with. Someone might call you a couch potato if you sit and watch television all day and get little or no physical exercise.

　　smallpotatoes：小人物，不重要的.

　　hotpotato：烫手山芋

　　acouch potato：懒人

　　【参考译文】

　　今天，我们要讨论的是那些使用了蔬菜名和水果名的俗语。

　　比如，黄瓜是一种长型的绿色蔬菜，人们常在沙拉中吃到。当一个人从不为任何事担忧，或在紧张的形势下仍能保持冷静，你也许会说这个人“as cool as a cucumber(镇定自若)”。如果你长时间把黄瓜放在醋和辣椒的混合液中，它会变成为泡菜。但如果你正“in a pickle(处于困境之中)”，那就是说你有了麻烦，或者遇到了困难。

　　如果两个人长得非常相似，你会说他们就像“two peas in a pod（一个豆荚里的两颗豌豆）"。

　　关于豆子的俗语有好几个。如果一个人精力充沛，你可以说她“full of beans(精力旺盛)”。如果你说某样东西“does not amount to a hill of beans(一文不值)”，你的意思是说它并不重要。如果你对某件事情一无所知，我可能会说你“don’t know beans about a subject（一窍不通）”。但如果你“spill the beans(泄密)”，那你说了某些本该是秘密的事情。

　　在很多地方，土豆是一种很受欢迎的食物。但如果某个东西是不重要的，那它则被认为是“small potatoes(小人物，不重要的)”。你大概不想徒手捧着“hot potato(烫手山芋)”，这代表了没有人想去处理的难题。如果你成天坐着看电视，很少锻炼，也许会有人称你为“a couch potato(懒人)”。