一日一成语【44】throw up one’s hands

throw up one’s hands

人除了可用语言来进行交际外，还常常用些手势、身体的动作来表示一定的意义。在英美的影视片上，你一定见到过有人把双手往上一甩，一脸孔无可奈何的表情。这表示他对做某件事失去信心，表示他经过再三努力后仍未成功，因而认输了、放弃了。这种用身体动作表示的意义又反过来通过语言表示出来，这就是今天所讲的这个成语throw up one’s hand的意思：

The private tutor threw up his hands three weeks after he was hired to coach the boy, who had shown no sign of improvement.
私人教师在被雇来辅导这个男孩后三周后失去信心，因为孩子毫无进步的迹象。

When Jack saw the pile of homework on his desk, he threw up his hands.
看到桌子上那一大堆作业，杰克真不知道该怎么办才好。

Mum threw up her hands when she found that the kids had made a mess of the room she had just cleaned.
当妈妈发现她刚打扫干净的房间又让孩子们搞得一团糟时，她觉得真拿他们没办法。