一、基本含义
"Fall over one's feet"直译为“摔倒在自己的脚上”,但在实际使用中,它并不总是字面上的意思。这个短语主要用来描述一个人因为过于急躁、匆忙或不谨慎,导致意外摔倒或者失去平衡的情况。在比喻意义上,它也可以表示一个人在做事情时过于急切,结果反而造成了失误。
二、具体用法
1. 实际摔倒或失去平衡
当这个短语用于描述物理上的跌倒时,它通常描绘了一个动作的突然性和不稳定性。例如:
- "When I tried to catch the falling vase, I fell over my feet and ended up with a sprained ankle."(当我试图接住那个落下的花瓶时,我没站稳摔倒了,结果扭伤了脚踝。)
2. 比喻性的失误或尴尬
在比喻意义上,"fall over one's feet"常用来形容在处理事情时过于急躁或笨拙,导致了错误或尴尬。这可以是个人行为,也可以是组织或企业的行动。例如:
- "The new employee was so eager to impress that he fell over his feet trying to complete the project on time."(新员工急于给人留下好印象,以至于在努力按时完成项目时出了差错。)
三、相关例句
1. "She was in such a hurry to get to the interview that she fell over her feet on the stairs."(她赶着去面试,结果在楼梯上绊倒了。)
2. "The company fell over its feet to launch the product without properly testing it, resulting in numerous customer complaints."(公司在没有充分测试的情况下急于推出产品,结果招致了大量的客户投诉。)
3. "In his excitement, the child fell over his feet while running towards the playground."(孩子兴奋地朝操场跑去,结果跑得太急摔了一跤。)
4. "The politician fell over his feet in his attempt to answer the tricky question, making himself look foolish."(那位政治家在试图回答棘手问题时过于急躁,结果显得很愚蠢。)
四、拓展用法
"Fall over one's feet"的变体还有"trip over one's feet",两者在含义上非常接近,都强调因急躁或不慎而导致的跌倒或失误。例如:
- "I tripped over my own feet while walking in the dark, but thankfully, I didn't hurt myself."(我在黑暗中走路时绊到了自己的脚,但幸运的是,我没有受伤。)
总结来说,"fall over one's feet"这个短语在英语中具有双重含义,既可以指实际的跌倒,也可以比喻做事过于急切导致的失败或尴尬。理解和掌握这个短语的用法,可以帮助我们更准确地表达思想,丰富我们的语言表达。在实际应用中,可以根据情境灵活选择其字面或比喻意义,以达到最佳的沟通效果。
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