BEC商務(wù)英語大家了解多少呢?對于專業(yè)學(xué)習(xí)這項(xiàng)知識的人來說可能更為熟悉一些,商務(wù)英語考試中也有一些常用的實(shí)用性短語,大家都知道多少呢?下面就是BEC商務(wù)英語實(shí)用短語及情景對話練習(xí),正在備戰(zhàn)這項(xiàng)考試的人們趕快練起來吧!

  1、at one’s wits end 智窮計(jì)盡

  wit的意思是“穎悟力,智力,理解力”。該習(xí)語的意思是“處在智力的末端”,意即“智窮計(jì)盡”了。例如:I’m at my wit’s end with this problem. 我對這個問題真是束手無策。

  A: I am at my wits’ end.

  我已經(jīng)智窮計(jì)盡了

  B: What’s the matter?

  怎么啦?

  A: If the bank won’t lend us the money, we’ll be stuck.

  如果銀行不肯給我們貸款,我們就寸步難行了。

  B: Don’t worry. You can ask Mary for help.

  別著急。你可以請瑪麗幫幫忙。

   sixes and sevens 亂七八糟;意見不一

  該習(xí)語一般認(rèn)為源于擲色子,原為賭博行話。據(jù)說在中世紀(jì)時,色子面上的最高點(diǎn)數(shù)是7,如想求得13點(diǎn),即一個色子6點(diǎn),一個色子7點(diǎn),這談何容易,只有那些心煩意亂或處于思想混亂狀態(tài)下的人才會下此賭注,一試賭贏。該習(xí)語最初表示“漫不經(jīng)心地下賭注”,后來轉(zhuǎn)而表示“心煩意亂”,最后又引申出“亂七八糟”、“意見不一”等意思。

  A: You have loused up the whole business; it’s at sixes and sevens.

  整個買賣讓你弄得亂七八糟。

  B: The dice is cast. It’s incurable.

  一切都成了定局,沒救了。

  A: I feel so terrible.

  糟透了。

  B: Me too. We just went to a lot of trouble for nothing.

  我也這么想,一切都白忙了。

   to square one 退回起點(diǎn);從頭再來

  該習(xí)語源自擲色子游戲。當(dāng)擲出某個特定的號碼時要受罰,于是還要重新再擲。該習(xí)語即指“無所進(jìn)展,退回起點(diǎn)”,進(jìn)而“從頭再來”。例如:I’m back to square one with the work.(我的工作又得從頭做起。)

  A: Have you finished designing that office building?

  那座辦公樓設(shè)計(jì)好了嗎?

  B: We are back to square one now.

  我們正在重新設(shè)計(jì)。

  A: Back to square one? What’s the matter?

  重新設(shè)計(jì)?怎么回事?

  B: We’ve worked out the plan, but it’s been decided that we must use cheaper material. So we have to redesign it.

  本來我們都已經(jīng)設(shè)計(jì)好了,但現(xiàn)在決定使用便宜點(diǎn)的材料,所以只得從頭再來。

   to the drawing board 從頭開始,失敗后另起爐灶

  drawing board指“畫板”。該習(xí)語直議為“(退)回到畫板前”,引申為“從頭開始。失敗后另起爐灶”。

  A: How is Jim recently?

  吉姆近況如何?

  B: Very well. Since he was back to the drawing board, he’s been very successful.

  非常好。自從他失敗以后另起爐灶,就一直很成功。

  A: I know he will get back on his feet sooner or later.

  我知道他遲早會東山再起的。

  rk figure 近似數(shù),大致正確的估計(jì)

  ballpark一詞本指“棒球場”,引申為“活動領(lǐng)域”,在此為形容詞,表示“大致正確的,八九不離十的”。此類常用短語還有in the right ballpark“大致正確,差不多”。Ballpark figure 指大致不錯的近似數(shù)。

  A: What price is this building?

  這棟樓的成本是多少?

  B: It’s $1,00,000, just a ballpark figure.

  一百萬美元,這只是個大概數(shù)。

  A: So much? It must have been in excess of our budget.

  這么多!肯定超出了預(yù)算了。

  B: So. We go on or stop it now?

  那現(xiàn)在是干下去還是停下來?

  A: Of course build it. Let’s think of some ways to raise money.

  當(dāng)然要干下去,我們想法去籌些錢。

   for the buck 貨真價實(shí)

  buck在美國俚語中是“美元”的意思。有這樣一個短語,bigger bang for a buck,它的意思是“花錢取得更大效果”。Bang原是表示巨大聲響的擬聲詞,這里引申為“效果”。

  A: Listen! It’s mid-summer now. What do we need them for?

  嘿,現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)是仲夏了,我們要這些東西干什么?

  B: They may come in handy. Besides, these items can be true bang for the buck.

  會有用得著它們的時候,再說這些東西是貨真價實(shí)的呀。

  A: True bang for the buck? They’re enough for ten years’ use.

  貨真價實(shí)?都夠用10年的了。

  B: Stop getting on my nerves! I’m not doing something for nothing!

  別煩我了,我可不是沒事找事。

   brassed off doing 厭煩于… ,對 … 滿腹牢騷

  brass作名詞指“黃銅”,作動詞指“鍍黃銅于 … ”,而brassed off是俚語,意思是“厭煩,不滿,牢騷滿腹”。

  A: I am awfully sorry that I have kept you waiting.

  真是很抱歉讓您久等了。

  B: To tell you the truth, I am really brassed off waiting.

  說實(shí)話,我最討厭等人。

  A: Sorry. I had something urgent to deal with just when I was to leave.

  對不起,我正要來的時候又有急事要處理。

  B: You should have told me earlier.

  你應(yīng)該早點(diǎn)告訴我。

  A: It was too late to inform you.

  通知你已經(jīng)來不及了。

   catty 愛搬弄是非的;愛誹謗人的

  英語中,cat給人的聯(lián)想總是不太愉快,如cattish的意思是“狡猾的、惡意的、偷偷摸摸的”。cat在英語中可用來指“惡意傷人的女人,包藏禍心的女人”,因此catty就有了誹謗的含義。

  A: I thought you would cooperate.

  我原以為你會跟我合作呢。

  B: Well, I’m too busy to be catty and poke my nose into things that do not matter much to me.

  我可不愿意搬弄是非去管那些跟我沒關(guān)系的閑事。

  A: How do you know that he won’t do something against yourself?

  你怎么知道他不會做出什么對你不利的事呢?

  B: You do seem to have a glib tongue.

  你真能胡攪蠻纏。

   down in the dumps 垂頭喪氣,神情沮喪

  the dumps在非正規(guī)的口語表達(dá)方式中的意思是“憂郁”或“沮喪”。be down in the dumps常指“悶悶不樂”或“打不起精神”,也可引申為“垂頭喪氣,精神沮喪”。

  A: You’re down in the dumps. What’s happened?

  你看上去沮喪不堪。出什么事了?

  B: I had a quarrel with our boss’s secretary. She’s been on her high horse these days.

  我和老板的秘書吵了一架。這幾天她總是盛氣凌人。

  A: Maybe she was only taking it out on you. Secretaries have a lot of pressure, too.

  也許她僅僅是向你發(fā)泄。秘書的壓力也很大。

  B: But she jumped down my throat for no reason at all. I could not put up with her.

  但她無理由地斥責(zé)我,我無法容忍。

   in a jam 陷入困境

  jam指“擁擠,阻塞”。該習(xí)語的字母意思為“在擁擠之中”,引申為“陷入困難的處境”。例如:She is in a bit of jam about money. (她的手頭有點(diǎn)拮據(jù)。)

  A: Mike told me that his business was in a jam and he was in urgent need of money. He wanted to borrow some money from me. 邁克告訴我他的生意陷入困境,急需用錢。他想向我借錢。

  B: Don’t lend money to him. He’s always lying. 別借錢給他。他總是說慌。

  A: But I think he is really in difficulty this time. 但這一次我看他是真的遇上困難了。

   in full swing 正在全力進(jìn)行,處于活躍階段

  in full swing的意思是“活躍”。該習(xí)語的意思即引申為“處于(工作的)全面展開、進(jìn)行階段”。例如:The building project is in full swing.(這個建筑工程正處在全力進(jìn)行之中。)

  A: I hear your company in expanding its business.

  我聽說你們公司正在擴(kuò)展生意。

  B: Yeah. We’re setting up a new factory now and the work on it is in full swing. The project will be completed in three months.

  是的,我們正在新建一個工廠。工程正處于全面施工階段,三個月內(nèi)就可以完工了。

   in high gear 全力進(jìn)行

  gear指“齒輪,傳動裝置”,high gear的意思是汽車的“高速檔”。該習(xí)語字面意思為“機(jī)器正處在高速檔(快速運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn))”,實(shí)際指“事物正處在全力進(jìn)行當(dāng)中”。

  A: By the way, how is your business going? Is it proceeding smoothly?

  哎,你的生意最近如何?進(jìn)展還順利嗎?

  B: Yes, it’s in high gear.

  一切都在全力進(jìn)行。

   itching for a chance to do 很想找個機(jī)會試一試

  形容詞itching的意思是“渴望的”,be itching to do意為“渴望做某事”;for a chance指“找機(jī)會”,因此整個習(xí)語的意思即為“渴望得到機(jī)會試做某事”。

  A: I am itching for a chance to cooperate with Mike. I hear he’s a very competent person.

  我很想找機(jī)會和邁克合作一次。聽說他特別能干。

  B: Everyone who has worked with him will have a deep impression on that point.

  是的。每個和他一起工作的人都對此深有體會。

  這些內(nèi)容大家學(xué)會多少了呢?切記不要覺得自己學(xué)得夠多了,學(xué)無止境,哪有夠多這一說法。備考BEC是商務(wù)英語考試的朋友們,大家覺得自己準(zhǔn)備得如何了呢?千萬不要掉以輕心哦!還想了解哪些知識,不妨來這里和我們一起學(xué)習(xí)吧。