第59讲 机不可失，时不再来 Jump on sth. & Pull someone’s leg

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我们常说成功的人往往是善于抓住机会的人。这里“马上抓住机会做某事”在英文中可以用jump on something来表示。

What a sunny day! Do you want to jump on it? How about playing football?
(译文：多晴朗的天气啊！你想马上抓住这个机会吗？踢踢足球如何？)

片语jump on something的意思是“马上抓住机会做某事”。它的本来意思是指“扑向某物”，一个“扑”字，就体现了一种机会的难得，也包含了“害怕失去机会”的意思，因而含有“立刻抓住机会做某事”的引申意义。To jump on something means to grip the chance immediately to do something. For example:

Banff National Park is the Canada’s oldest and best national park, hidden in the majestic Rocky Mountains. When I had the chance to go back and visit the park last summer, I jumped on it.
(译文：班夫国家公园是加拿大最古老也是最好的国家公园，隐藏在雄伟的洛矶山脉中。去年夏天，当我有机会重游这座公园时，我马上就抓住了这个机会。)

需要注意的是jump on something也可以写作jump at something。

“开某人玩笑”在英文中该怎么说呢？也许朋友们会用just kidding来表达。但今天我们还要给大家介绍另一个片语：pull someone’s leg, 它与just kidding表达的意思相同。比如：

Last month, my former girlfriend told me she would break up with me. At first, I thought she was just pulling my leg, but the final let me know that it was true.
(译文：上个月，前女友告诉我他要和我分手，开始，我认为他只是开开玩笑，但结果使我知道这是真的。)

pull someone’s leg 这里的意思相当于“愚弄某人，开某人玩笑，逗某人”，而不能从字面上翻译为“拖某人后腿”哦。“拖某人后腿”在英文中有一个相应的表达──hold someone back 或是 be a drag/hindrance on someone.　To pull someone’s leg means to make fun of or to get one to believe something that isn't true.

 When he told me he had been to Arctic, followed scientific expeditions, I realized he was just pulling my leg.
（译文：当他告诉我他曾跟随科学远征队去过北极地区，我就知道他是在开玩笑。）

结束语：当朋友约我去澳洲旅行，说一切费用他全包了，我就知道我不能马上抓住这个机会了（jump at the chance to tour the Australia），因为现在右脚骨折，还不能走路呢! 后来一想，他不是在开我玩笑吗（pull my leg）？明明知道我脚不方便才那样说的呀！