I'll show my teeth,不是在露牙齿搞笑
销售数字连续两季下滑,为此,新上任的外国主管Michael特别召开检讨会议,想要找出解决之道。正当大伙儿七嘴八舌之际,忽然,Michael伸出大手往桌面一拍,同时夸张地露出他那一排洁白的牙齿,说:Don't worry, fellows. I'll show my teeth.
Michael龇牙咧嘴的举措看似唐突又搞笑,但他其实是想借具体的表情,强化他急欲展现魄力的信念。
show one's teeth这句惯用语有两种意思,一是“借权力、权威吓唬或惩罚某人”,二是指“拿出魄力”。
1 show one's teeth 拿出魄力
例:
If you really want to solve this problem, you need to show your teeth.(如果你真的想要解决这个问题,你需要拿出魄力。)
2 show one's face 公开露面
此外,在英文惯用语中,还有露脸、露手和露脚跟的用法,但意义可大不相同。show one's face意思直接,就是“公开露面”。
例:
That super star hasn't shown her face for a long time. She is reportedly seriously ill.(那位超级巨星很久没有公开露面了,报道说她身患重病。)
3 show one's hand 摊牌
show one's hand则是“表明自己的意图或计划”,简单说就是“摊牌”。请注意,hand要用单数。
例:
Only after becoming the CEO did he show his hand to invest in the futures market.(他当上CEO后,才表明打算投资期货市场的意图。)
4 show one's heels 逃走、逃离
例:
I saw the boss’ face and he looked angry. I smelled a rat. So I just showed my heels.(我看到老板拉长了脸,好像很生气。我一见苗头不对,赶紧逃之夭夭。)