to have a chip on one's shoulder 露出想打架的樣子;覺得自己受了委屈,憤憤不平
短語釋義:Shaun had a potato on his shoulder, a chip wasn’t enough. 肖恩肩膀上有個土豆,一條油炸土豆條可不夠。從這幅圖和這句話里你能看出什么呢?這個人很笨嗎?為什么要在肩膀上放土豆或者土豆條呢?其實這幅插圖由一個習語演變而來,懂得這個習語才會覺得這幅插圖有意思。chip表示“炸土豆條”,potato chips馬鈴薯片;油炸薯片。Chip還可以表示“小木片”。這一成語源于兒童游戲。如果一方的孩子要當首領(lǐng)的話,他放一塊木板在自己的肩膀上,問對方的孩子敢不敢把木板打掉。如果有人挑戰(zhàn),那么兩個人就要決出輸贏。此語由此轉(zhuǎn)喻為“針鋒相對”“互不相讓”或“好斗”,有時又與漢語的“叫板”近似。 所以,to have a chip on one's shoulder 字面意思是肩膀上有一片木屑 而實際含義是“露出想打架的樣子”或“覺得自己受了委屈,憤憤不平”,或許你也曾經(jīng)有過類似上面類似的經(jīng)歷。本來你以為自己已經(jīng)對一件別人做錯的事釋懷了, 當你再度面對這個人時, 那種生氣的感覺又回來了,想責罵他一番。這種感覺也是have a chip on one's shoulder,類似于“心存芥蒂”。這幅插圖的創(chuàng)意之處在于考慮到了chip的不同意思。
情景領(lǐng)悟:
1. He is not popular among his peers. He always seems to have a chip on his shoulder.
他在同學中人緣不好,他好像總要別人叫板。
2. Mary has got a chip on her shoulder about not having obtained the scholarship.
瑪麗由于沒有得到獎學金而憤憤不平。