举一些例子供大家参考。
1. Head Start
如果这两个字开头的字母是大写,则连在一起是一个专有名词,指的是美国政府为贫穷或弱智的儿童设立的一种训练机构,帮助他们,希望他们在进小学之前能赶上教学进度。也就是:U.S. government tries to give extra - help for those underprivileged children before entering first grade. (underprivileged 比poor 更委婉些)
例如:
Many poor parents send their children to Head Start.
但是如果head start的字母是小写,那么就是普通名词了,是指比别人早着手,或领先、有利,即:advance start or advantage
例如:
To know more colloquial expressions is a head start in learning English. (了解更多的俗语对学习英语有好处。)
2. blue blood
是指有钱人或出身富家的人 (rich or wealthy people)
例如:
Some people do not want to admit that they have blue blood. (有些人不愿承认自己是富家出身。)
Many blue blooded children attend this private school. (许多有钱人家的孩子就读这所私立学校。)
3. bed of roses
意思是称心如意的境遇;美好、理想的"安乐窝"(everything seems to be wonderful)
例如:Life is not always a bed of roses. (生活未必都是称心如意的。)
4. from soup to nuts
意思是从头到尾,自始至终;或是一应俱全,完整详尽(多半是指物品方面)。
例如:
This store sells everything from soup to nuts. (这家商店出售的货品一应俱全。)
My office is supplied from soup to nuts. (我办公室里的用品十分齐全。)
但是如果指知识丰富的话,则不用这个词,而是通常用 from A to Z来表达,。
例如:
Mr. Greenspan knows economics from A to Z. (格林斯潘先生在经济方面的知识非常丰富。)