“我没钱”,最好别用"I have no money"
每到月底,地铁坐不起、盒饭吃不起,盼星星盼月亮就盼着发工资,可是工资还没焐热就又没了,总之就是一句话:“我没钱”。
中文都说穷到吃土,英文里又如何地道表达“我没钱”?是不是I have no money?老外虽然能理解这种表达,但不够纯正。
那么,地道英语是怎么说的?
(图源:视觉中国)
1. I'm skint.
我手头比较紧。
Skint 指没钱,身无分文的。一句“I m skint”,别人就知道你最近很穷,超过5块钱的活动估计都不会找你了~
例句:
I'm skint! Lend us a tenner.
我没钱了,借我们10英镑吧。
We were as skint as you can be without being homeless.In other words, we were existing entirely on benefits.
我们除了有个寄居之地以外身无分文。换句话说,我们完全靠社会救济生活。
2. I'm penniless.
我身无分文。
“penny”是“便士,一分钱”,“penniless”表示的就是“一分钱都没有了”。
例句:
A: What have you bought ?
你买什么了?
B: Oh, I bought many clothes. I'm penniless now.
我买了好多衣服,现在没钱啦!
3. I'am strapped.
我手头紧(被捆扎)。
strapped adj.身无分文的
例句:
I'm gonna need a raise though,I m strapped.
不过你得加点薪,我身无分文了。
I'm strapped for cash recently.
我最近手头很紧。
1. a church mouse 一贫如洗
“穷到吃土”可以用俚语 a church mouse ,表达“穷到吃土,一贫如洗”。中世纪的西方教堂里(church)是没有放食物的柜子和储物室的,所以住在那里的老鼠总是挨饿。后来,老鼠就成了“贫穷”的象征。
例句:
He is as poor as a church mouse.
他一贫如洗。
I wish I had more money. I'm as poor as a church mouse.
但愿我有多点钱。我真是穷到吃土。
2. hand to mouth 勉强糊口
例句:
We lived from hand to mouth, never knowing where the next meal was coming from.
我们日子过得紧紧巴巴的,从来是吃了上顿没下顿。
一般情况下人们不太会说:I have a lot of money,这样不太地道。比较常见的表达是:I'm loaded. 我很有钱(loaded adj. 阔绰的)。
美剧《摩登家庭》里有一句台词:
What size tubing would I need for three ducklings to slide through? Cost is no object.
什么型号的管子能让三只小鸭子滑过去?钱不是问题。
这里面的cost is no object 常用来表达“钱不是问题,钱不在话下”。也可以说:money / expense is no object.
例句
Money's no object. I want the best.
钱不成问题,我要最好的。
You travel around the world as if money is no object.
你环游世界旅行彷佛钱不是问题似的。
来源|网络公开素材
制作|绢生
审核|肖英 / 万顷
终审|清欢