1. butter-fingers
Butterfingers是由两个字组成的,一个是butter。Butter就是黄油,另一个字是:fingers。 Fingers就是手指。黄油手指是什么意思呢?
你想一想,要是你手上都是黄油,你会感到很油腻,很滑,要抓什么东西也抓不住。所以,美国人就把那些笨手笨脚,经常会拿不住东西,打破,或打坏东西的人称为butterfingers。在美国,你可能会听到人们说:
例句: Some Americans are all butterfingers the first time they try to pick up and use Asian chopsticks。
有些美国人在第一次用亚洲人用的筷子的时候,都是笨手笨脚的。
例句: Pete's a hard worker. But he has a tough time holding a restaurant job. He's a real butterfingers and keeps spilling dishes when he brings an order to the table。
Pete是一个工作很努力的人。但是他很难持续他在饭馆的工作。在上菜的时候,他经常会把菜洒出来,真是笨手笨脚。
2. all thumbs
Thumbs就是大拇指。你可以想象,要是一个人的两只手全是大拇指,那他还能干活吗?当然不行。
例句: Dick isn't very good using tools around the house. He's all thumbs: when he hammers a nail he's likely to end up hitting his finger instead. And you'd be shocked to hear the bad language he uses when that happens!
Dick在家里用工具干活是不太行的。他总是笨手笨脚,当他要敲一个钉子的时候,他往往会敲到他自己的手指上。把自己敲痛了,他就破口大骂,你听了真会吓一跳。
例句: Sheila won't let me help her clear the dishes after dinner any more after I dropped her favorite plate and broke it. Now she tells our friends I'm all thumbs。
上次我把Sheila心爱的盘子打破后,她就不再让我吃完晚饭后洗碗了。她现在告诉我们的朋友我是多么的笨手笨脚。
3. two left feet
Two left feet就是两只左脚。我们每个人都有一只右脚和一只左脚。要是一个人有两只左脚的话,那要走路,跑步和跳舞就很别扭了。下面这个例子就是一个人在说他学跳舞的情况。
例句: In high school I had a hard time learning all the popular dance steps. At first, you know, I felt like I had two left feet. But I kept trying and these days my wife tells me she even enjoys taking a turn around the dance floor with me。
念中学的时候,我学那些流行的舞步可真不容易。你知道吗,刚开始的时候,我觉得两只脚真别扭。但是,我不断练习,现在我太太告诉我她还挺高兴和我一起跳舞。