我们今天要讲的习惯用语都有这样一个词nerve。Nerve通常解释为“神经”，但是它也有“勇气”的意思。例如在我们要学的第一个习惯用语: get up the nerve里，它就表示“勇气”。
例句-1：I'm trying to get up the nerve to walk in and tell my boss I want a 20% raise or I'll look for another job where they'll pay me what I'm really worth.
我打算鼓起勇气到老板的办公室去，告诉他我想加薪百分之二十，否则我就要另谋高就，到愿意付给我应得报酬的地方去工作了。
有时候人们用work代替get，成为work up the nerve。我们再看个例子，说话的人很希望向他所钟情的女孩求婚，但却一直怯于启齿。
例句-2：I've been going with Susan for three years and I'm crazy about her! For six months I've been trying to work up the nerve to ask her to marry me, but I'm afraid all she'll do is laugh.
我和苏珊已经约会了三年了，我对她一往情深。最近六个月来我一直想鼓起勇气开口向她求婚，但我老觉得难以启齿，因为我怕她会一笑了之。
我们再来学个习惯用语: have got a lot of nerve。在这个习惯用语里，nerve不再解释为“神经”或者“勇气”，而是“鲁莽”。
例句-3：You've really got a lot of nerve telling me I spend too much money! Remember, you are the one who goes up to New York every month and brings back a thousand dollars worth of stuff.
你也好意思说我花钱太多？你每个月都得去一次纽约，而且每次总要买一千多美元的东西！
这儿have got a lot of nerve是用来指责对方厚脸皮，或者太鲁莽的说法，这个习惯用语通常是争论中用的。还有一个习惯用语和这个说法意思一样，而且也常用在争吵的时候。它是: of all the nerve。Of all the nerve和have got a lot of nerve都可以用来说对方太莽撞甚至厚颜无耻。
例句-4：Of all the nerve! How dare you criticize me for being late in the morning. You're the one who sneak out half an hour early - at least I work a full eight hours every day!
真是大言不惭！你还说我早上迟到？你自己每天提前半小时就回家了，至少我每天都待够八小时。
美国人还喜欢用chutzpah这个词来代替nerve指责别人蛮横或者厚颜无耻，看看下面的例子：
例句-5：The man murdered his father and mother, but at his trial he had the chutzpah to tell the judge that he shouldn't be sent to prison because his parents were dead and he was an orphan.
这人谋害了他的父母，但是在审判中他竟然恬不知耻地对法官说，他不该坐牢，因为他父母双亡，是个孤儿。作者: 石头静儿 时间: 2011-3-23 15:41
