这些话什么意思呀？

兰颜知己

you are always on the ball
you are always on top of things
2 }$ x! L: Y* eyou rock
虽然知道大意都是表扬人的，但用中文翻译该怎么讲呢？

billzhao

to play ball

! {- u9 A9 S) l4 Y! Zon the ball
9 ~! I" H% @. m
美国人非常喜欢体育，特别是球类运动。他们热衷于橄榄球，棒球，垒球，篮球，网球和高尔夫球，等等。每当电视转播精彩球赛的时候，马路上的汽车都会少一些，因为大家都呆在家里看电视了。大概是由于美国人对球类这么感兴趣，所以有不少习惯用语都和“球”- ball 这个字有关。

我们中国人一般都说：打球， 很少说: 玩球。可是，在英文里却刚好相反，没有人说打球，都说to play ball。
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To play ball除了作打球解释外，实际上它也是一个俗语，意思是: 合作，或者是: 互相帮忙。美国人常说"You play ball with me and I'll play ball with you." 从字面上解释，这句话的意思是:“你和我打球，我以后也会和你打球。” 但是，除了孩子会说这样的话以外，大人一般都把这句话作为俗语来用。那末，作为俗语这句话又是什么意思呢? "You play ball with me and I'll play ball with you" 作为俗语的意思就是: 这次你跟我合作，下次我一定跟你合作。我们来举个例子: 这是一个警察在和一个抓到的贩毒品罪犯说话：

$ P) c1 M1 t6 r% A例句-1: Look, you play ball with me and tell me who your boss is, and maybe we can get the judge to take it easy on you.
" |8 K: b. o0 f: L! i* P
" x+ l$ h, k/ i6 [! t. {这个警察是想从这个小喽罗身上打听到大罪犯的消息，这样可以一网打尽。这个警察说:　你听着，你要是现在和我合作，告诉我你的老板是谁，这样也许我们可以让法官对你宽大处理。
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3 G0 Z6 U3 m; l# S* N. k( _! Y******

这回我帮你忙，或做出让步，为的是以后能得到你的帮助，在人与人的关系中这似乎是一种很普遍的做法。不管一个人地位多高，多有钱，有时候似乎也不得不这么做。下面这个例子就证明这一点：
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8 j  N" D# J/ ?/ \例句-2: To get his programs passed through the congress, a president sometimes has to play ball with members of the opposing party and do them favors in return for their votes.

这句话的意思是:　作为一个总统， 为了让国会通过他的计划，有的时候也不得不和反对党的成员合作，给他们一些好处，以换取他们的选票。
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7 `: {! t3 b# y) Z) }' a/ f这句话是千真万确的。是的，美国总统权力很大，他的决定不仅影响美国，往往对全世界的动向都会产生重大作用。但是，有一点人们往往会忽视，那就是，美国总统的权力也是有限的，因为他的重大决定如果没有国会的批准就成不了法律，没有国会同意，他的计划就不能付诸实施。因此，总统和国会议员进行讨论、协商，做出妥协等等是总统要推行他的计划的一个重要组成部份。
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下面我们再给大家介绍一个由ball这个字组成的俗语：on the ball。

On the ball 这个习惯用语的意思是：一个人很机灵，在工作方面做的非常出色，总是名列前茅。有人可能要问，一个人精明能干，工作出色，这跟ball 有什么关系呢? 　据说， on the ball这个俗语来自打篮球，有些著名的篮球运动员有一种才能，那就是：在球场上不管球在谁手里，也不管球在场地的哪个角落，他们总能在离球不远的地方，一有机会就可以把球抢到手，也就是on the ball。
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我们来举个例子看看on the ball在日常生活中是怎么用的。这是一个商店的经理在对他的助手说话：

1 u/ l3 C! T/ C" ~* s3 ]+ [" U0 p例句-3: Say, that new saleswoman doesn't seem to pay much attention to her work. You tell her she'd better get on the ball and start taking care of customers or we'll have to let her go.

6 g; b9 J% b% u$ g! x5 V这位经理说：我说啊，那个新来的售货员似乎心思不在工作上。你去告诉她，让她好好干，小心伺候顾客，否则我们不得不解雇她。
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美国没有铁饭碗，几乎没有一个人的工作是永久性的，大学毕业后在一个地方工作一辈子的人不多。在私营企业和公司里，人员流动尤其频繁。有的人在找到工资更高、更满意的工作之后就辞去了原来的工作到别处去了，公司方面也可以解雇那些工作态度不好，水平不够的工作人员。因此，要是一个人不想被开除的话，那他就得兢兢业业地工作，尽自己的最大努力把工作做好。像上面例句里的女售货员就面临被解雇的危险。
  J4 _1 }: K4 K
下面我们再给大家举一个例子来说明on the ball在日常生活中是怎么用的。这是一个报馆的老板在讲一个非常突出的记者：
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7 d1 b0 h" ]! c1 `) ~% j例句-4: That reporter is about the best we have on the paper. He's always on the ball and brings back stories that most other reporters would miss.
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. [8 n( Z5 l8 W! f他说：那个记者大概是我们报纸最好的记者了。他的报导总是非常出色，他往往会带回一些大多数记者都会忽略的消息。

今天给大家讲解了两个和ball这个字有关的俗语，第一个是：to play ball。 To play ball作为俗语的意思是和某人合作，或做出妥协，以便以后可以得到对方的帮助。我们今天讲的另一个习惯用语是：on the ball。 On the ball是指一个人很机灵，工作做得很出色。

billzhao

On top of things这个短语字面的意思是“将问题克服，高高踩在上面”，引申为“控制全局”。举个例子：

8 ~# }4 W# i9 D" V+ f; t9 c& {. o　　The new manager was always worried he wasn’t on top of things.   
9 q( v4 y) `: x2 e% Z
8 b4 ]6 `: Y8 o6 ^- A# q4 u  J. k　　新经理一直担心自己无法掌握全局。

billzhao

You rock
0 K4 S. v* j3 A* R- w, BThis is deceptive.
1 z9 u. o/ B9 T) s
You don't rock all the time. No one does. No one is a rock star, superstar, world-changing artist all the time. In fact, it's a self-defeating goal. You can't do it.

4 F2 [+ e* D$ P  U' J8 vNo, but you might rock five minutes a day.

Five minutes to write a blog post that changes everything, or five minutes to deliver an act of generosity that changes someone. Five minutes to invent a great new feature, or five minutes to teach a groundbreaking skill in a way that no one ever thought of before. Five minutes to tell the truth (or hear the truth).
' w; U9 V7 F+ L/ R9 s6 ^0 h
Five minutes a day you might do exceptional work, remarkable work, work that matters. Five minutes a day you might defeat the lizard brain long enough to stand up and make a difference.

And five minutes of rocking would be enough, because it would be five minutes more than just about anyone else.

兰颜知己

to play ball

on the ball

7 u2 {& k6 e. d+ I2 Q美国人非常喜欢体育，特别是球类运动。他们热衷于橄榄球，棒球，垒球，篮球，网球和高尔夫球，等等。每当电视转播精彩球赛的时候，马路上的汽车都会少一些，因为大家都呆在家里看电 ...
billzhao 发表于 2010-4-19 15:01

WoW, you are always on the ball!

兰颜知己

很感谢这么详尽的说明，前因后果让人一下就记住。
但我还是想多问一句：用中文怎么讲？

billzhao

% \3 g- h& k& |3 H+ D2 b  l
% N* f- w" f" T! o# H2 a
4 f: a9 M! ]- _" y8 I' D+ @' z0 ?: \
You Rock My World lyrics
! i# u: C! g0 e- T/ A7 [
You Rock My World lyrics
# a- t# G- z0 I. E" b/ }% RHo...oh...

; L8 _" M0 L8 e# a4 SMy life will never be the same
8 e7 X% y# j; d+ v. ['Cause girl, you came and changed
The way I walk
1 h) s: k$ `. I" g9 fThe way I talk
; I$ q9 x8 v5 [+ w& d, N; ?
I cannot explain the things I feel for you
+ Z: c. A2 H2 ~" ABut girl, you know it's true
# k7 _5 L( j0 A8 V8 GStay with me, fulfill my dreams
7 d  m) e+ R1 x% NAnd I'll be all you'll need

: I9 u' R4 Q$ A' b' q, a2 uOh, oh, oh, oh, ooh, feels so right (Girl)
+ N0 O+ k" i% Z. VI've searched for the perfect love all my life (All my
life)
Oh, oh, oh, oh, ooh, feels like I (Like I)
Have finally found her perfect love is mine (See, I
. M. V* s. ?3 b: b- X3 ufinally found, come on, girl)

& h2 Y3 y: t% \my world you know you did
& T" |9 \( G# m( \2 {And everything I own I give (You rocked my world)
There is love you'll need to find
The one that you call mine (You rocked my world)

my world you know you did (Girl)
* b/ P- J% g( m% S2 ^And everything I own I give (I want you, girl)
% X1 _* F7 [, f* I  g& o# FThere is love you'll need to find
The one that you call mine (You rocked my world)
: M; Y. S5 S3 |- s+ X& [
8 f" W# O0 W2 u  b- Wsome time I knew that love would bring
) g6 Z& s- o% n, g2 |0 n' }/ i( ~2 YThis happiness to me
I tried to keep my sanity
) I- r- C. ~  M! \I waited patiently
2 ~6 X& o, ~3 N, T
Girl, you know it seems
My life is so complete
our love that's true because of you
are doing what you do

Oh, oh, oh, oh, who'd think that I (Oh)
Have finally found the perfect love I searched for all
my life (Searched for all my life)
! B1 j8 @; l% b; r1 O$ H! X# C/ _Oh, oh, oh, oh, who'd think I'd find
(Whoa...oh...oh...)
Such a perfect love that's awesomely so right (Whoa, girl)
  i# V; l2 G! M3 ]0 M) H  A
0 I2 j3 R* }9 y$ Q; D2 xmy world you know you did (Come on, come
( e  {6 q4 j6 l& r0 Z* Q, Hon, come on, come on)
+ n( d/ u% j  Z/ z3 VAnd everything I own I give
There is love you'll need to find
The one that you call mine (You rocked my world)
) M: D+ l, `% S( n* M
2 Q; Q1 c6 I( m" g/ F+ xmy world (You rocked my world), you know
8 v$ W& {6 x2 _! H/ vyou did
5 v( F+ i& `6 S% R0 b- P$ n' B& eAnd everything I own I give (Girl, girl, girl)
There is love you'll need to find
The one that you call mine (You rocked my world)

$ @6 P! N, c+ K: I, c* uYou rocked my world, you know you did (Oh)
And everything I own I give (You rocked my world)
; x6 o' u- h* p/ I3 zThere is love you'll need to find
The one that you call mine (You rocked my world)
2 z9 Q& N- j, `9 W5 c4 o2 x- X
You rocked my world (Oh...), you know you did
And everything I own I give (To rock my world)
6 G+ |' k. m/ w) iThere is love you'll need to find
; `6 |9 R/ N- w5 ^+ G4 @. y& A% m/ TThe one that you call mine (You rocked my world)

Girl, I know that this is love
I felt the magic all in the air
! F4 k7 e) t8 q# r1 v: m8 b2 P6 h  [And girl, I'll never get enough
That's why I always have to have you here, hoo

" a" E. x) c+ ^: L9 e+ zYou rocked my world (You rocked my world), you know
you did
And everything I own I give (Look what you did to
me, baby, yeah)
' I; D3 P1 n8 h! `& h% e) [There is love you'll need to find
The one that you call mine (You rocked my world)
& i5 I- m" }6 H* c& ^  [' N8 U
You rocked my world, you know you did (Know you did,
8 v( r1 h  y" R& f0 d  \& {& p3 Hbaby)
And everything I own I give ('Cause you rocked my
. B% x" D* Y* Q- [0 n. Z- ~  j# cworld)
* j0 k2 P# J# r- ?% ]5 n/ ~There is love you'll need to find (Hoo, hoo)
% f; I0 y) T0 }The one that you call mine

: c/ r& S. z2 `, H' v8 R  E(You rocked my world)
) M+ W6 H" m1 ^' D) OYou rocked my world, you know you did
/ E  d0 l8 m/ P" j& U. a- N5 W(The way you talk to me, the way you're lovin' me)
6 j( \: P1 o7 Z6 u(The way you give it to me)

You rocked my world, you know you did
(Give it to me)
(Yeah, yeah, yeah...yeah...ooh)
You rocked my world (You rocked my world), you know
you did
(You rocked my world, you rocked my world)

(Come on, girl) You rocked my world (Come on, girl),
+ a; A+ M7 B2 `1 \& L. Y$ ryou know you did
(Baby, baby, baby)
, D: e3 D; {0 W1 \  aAnd everything I own I give
5 Q1 ]  ~. `  s( [! x, EThere is love you'll need to find
The one that you call mine
. O! U* V! H7 Q, Z" J/ O' J, c
$ D0 e* S. U# e9 m2 N  ~: ZYou rocked my world, you know you did
5 n# L; S6 o6 G5 VAnd everything I own I give
There is love you'll need to find
The one that you call mine

tqbs

很感谢这么详尽的说明，前因后果让人一下就记住。
但我还是想多问一句：用中文怎么讲？
% j/ }: A; c( R8 V% s兰颜知己 发表于 2010-4-19 15:11

You rock = You NB

兰颜知己

You rock = You NB
tqbs 发表于 2010-4-19 20:46

4 P, e: {" n! C* ~
I like this one, it's straightforward.

珠圆玉润

wow, just learn it. very well. thanks.

otttc

to play ball
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; H& q! }9 u9 p% f. x5 L1 ton the ball

* I8 M! j; l" \; h0 @" R美国人非常喜欢体育，特别是球类运动。他们热衷于橄榄球，棒球，垒球，篮球，网球和高尔夫球，等等。每当电视转播精彩球赛的时候，马路上的汽车都会少一些，因为大家都呆在家里看电 ...
billzhao 发表于 2010-4-19 15:01

讲的好，送花！

otttc

高人