Words & Idioms Lesson 44
to get off on the wrong foot
to put one's foot in one's mouth
今天我们要给大家介绍两个由 foot 这个字组成的习惯用语 。Foot 在中文里就是“脚”的意思 。由 foot 这个字形成的俗语在英文里也不少，它们的意思有的是正面的，例如：to put one's best foot forward 。这是指尽量给人一个好的印象 。那末，有的人一开始就给人一个坏印象是怎么说的呢？ You should say: to get off on the wrong foot 。To get off on the wrong foot，这是指某人一开始就没给人一个好印象，或一开始由于某种行为而把事情弄糟了 。下面这句话里说的这个人就是一个例子：
例句-1: "When Joe went to his new job, he got off on the wrong foot -- on the first morning he upset his new boss by arriving at the store two hours late. And right now he's out looking for a job again."
这个人说：“乔找到了一份新的工作,可是他刚开始到那家店里去上班时就给人一个坏印象 。第一天上班他就晚到两个小时，让他的老板很不高兴 。现在他又在找工作了 。”
To get off on the wrong foot 这个俗语实际上可以适用于任何情况 。下面一个例子是一个男学生在说他交女朋友的情况：
例句-2: "I finally got a date with that new girl in class but I sure got off on the wrong foot with her: I had car trouble and got to her place almost two hours late."
他说：“那天我终于和班上新来的那个女同学约好了出去玩 。可是，当天我的车出了问题，晚了两个小时才去接她，所以我一开头就把事弄糟了 。”
有意无意做错事、说错话的情况是很经常的 。下面我们要讲的一个俗语就是无意中说错了话而伤害了别人，或者叫自己很不好意思 。这个俗语就是：to put your foot in your mouth 。
我们来举个例子看看什么样的情况才 to put your foot in your mouth：
例句-3: "When Sally told that silly joke about the sailor with one leg she really put her foot in her mouth. She didn't know the man across the dinner table had a brother at home in a wheelchair."
这句话翻成中文就是：“沙莉吃晚饭时说了一个笑话，拿一个只有一条腿的水手开玩笑 。她可不知道坐在饭桌对面那个人的哥哥就是个残废，行动都得靠轮椅 。” Sally如果事后了解情况的话,她肯定会说: "Well, I certainly have put my foot in my mouth."
下面我们再来举一个例子:
例句-4: "I certainly put my foot in my mouth at the party last night when I asked Mister Brown to say hello to his wife for me. Somehow I'd forgotten that his wife died six months ago."
这人说：“我昨晚在那个聚会上无意中说错了话 。我让布朗先生替我向他的太太问好 。不知怎么回事，我忘了他太太已经在半年前去世了 。”
