Feeling “Under the Weather”

英文成语


英语成语 “Under the Weather”

今天，我们谈论感觉不舒服。 我们都曾在生活中的某个时刻感到不适。 我们的情况可以从一个极端走向另一个极端。 如果我病得很重，你可以说, ”I am sick as a dog” (我病得像条狗)。 其他时候，我可能感觉很好去上班，但仍然不是很好。

当我感到疲倦、疲惫或只是有点不舒服时，我可以说, “I am feeling under the weather.” (我感觉不舒服)。

这可能是最简单、最常见的表达方式，“我感觉不舒服”。 事实上，我想不出另一个表达与 “under the weather” 相同含义的短语。

当您用 “I am under the weather”来表达时，您的情况并不严重。 您无需住院或看医生。

一些语言专家说，“under the weather” 也可能意味着醉酒或宿醉。 那晚你喝了太多酒，第二天你会感到不舒服。

但是，我从未听说过这样使用这个成语。 所以，我问了几位以英语为母语的人，没有人说他们用“under the weather” 来表示宿醉或醉酒。 当我听到有人说他们 “under the weather” 时，我想他们感觉不舒服，不觉得有别的意思。


随时可用！

在这个节目中，我几乎不使用“总是”这个词，但在与他人交谈时使用这个表达方式总是可以被人接受的。 随时告诉您的同事、您最好的朋友，甚至是您 90 岁的祖母，您“under the weather”（心情不好）。

在我们了解了这个表达式的来源后，我们会给出更多的例子。 所以不要着急！


来源

现在，恶劣的天气会影响您的健康。 例如，如果我在没有适当保护的情况下被困在寒冷的暴雨中几个小时，我很可能会生病。 但是为什么我们不舒服的时候要说 “under the weather” 呢？ 这听起来很奇怪。

为了找到答案，我求助于一本名为《农民年鉴》的出版物。 农民年鉴，并不是为语言学习而写的书。 它初版于 1818 年，目的在为了帮助美国农民在种植和收获庄稼时更多地了解他们周围的自然环境。 至今这份出版物仍然保持这个目的。

在农民年鉴的网站上，讲述了所有与天气相关的事情 —— 从平均降雪总量到月相，再到雨天钓鱼的建议。 所以，如果一个成语与天气有关，它可能会在农夫年鉴中得到解释！

为了解释“under the weather”，该网站发表了文字专家理查德·莱德勒 (Richard Lederer) 的文章。 他指出，“under the weather” 这个词来自水手的语言。

想象一下在波涛汹涌的海面上乘船。 波浪不断地迫使船上下左右摇晃。 这种持续不断的运动会让很多人感到晕船。

他写道：“在公海上，当风开始猛烈吹动，海浪变得汹涌时，船员和旅行者会到下面的船舱里。” 他们实际上是在 “under the weather” 的情况夏寻找安全的庇护所并避免晕船。

多年前，只有水手将晕船的水手描述为 “under the weather”。 但是今天，我们在有人感觉不舒服的时候使用这个表达。

现在，让我举几句使用这个短语的例子：

我今晚不能去。 我感觉不舒服。 不过谢谢邀请。

少女冒着冷雨站在外面等着买演唱会门票，第二天醒来时，就感到不怎么舒服。

如果你感觉不舒服，你真的应该回家休息。

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讨论问题：

  1. 阅读这篇文章对您来说有什么有趣或新鲜的地方？

  2. 描述一次你感觉 “under the weather” 的情况，或者，如果你想用，“sick as a dog” 来描述也可以。

  3. 您的语言中有哪些与疾病或生病有关的术语或者成语？

Feeling "Under the Weather"

Today, we talk about feeling sick. We have all felt sick at some point in our lives. And our condition can go from one extreme to the other. If I am very sick, you could say I am as sick as a dog. Other times I may feel good enough to go to work, but still not great.

When I feel tired, worn out or just a little sick, I can say I am feeling under the weather.

This is probably the simplest, most common way to say, “I don’t feel well.” In fact, I could not think of another phrase that expresses the same meaning as well as “under the weather” does.

When you are under the weather, your condition is not serious. You do not need to be in a hospital or see a doctor.

Some word experts say that “under the weather” also can mean feeling drunk or having a hangover. You have too much alcohol to drink one night and the next day, you feel sick.

However, I have never heard the idiom used this way. So, I asked several native English speakers, and not one said they use “under the weather” to mean hungover or drunk. When I hear someone say they are under the weather, I imagine they are not feeling well, but nothing else.

Use it anytime!

On this program, I hardly ever use the word “always,” but it is always acceptable to use this expression when speaking with others. Feel free to tell your co-workers, your best friend or even your 90-year-old grandmother that you are “under the weather.”

We will give more examples after we learn where this expression comes from. So don’t go away!

Origin

Now, bad weather can affect your health. For example, if I’m caught in a cold rainstorm for several hours without proper protection, I very possibly will get sick. But why do we say under the weather when we’re sick? That just sounds strange.

To find out, I turned to a publication called Farmers’ Almanac. Farmers’ Almanac is not really meant for language learners. It was founded in 1818 to help American farmers understand more about the natural world around them as they grow and harvest their crops. That is still its purpose today.

The Farmer’s Almanac website tells about all things weather-related – from average snowfall totals to phases of the moon to advice for fishing on a rainy day. So, if an idiom is weather-related, it probably will be explained in the Farmer’s Almanac!

To explain, “under the weather,” the website published the writing of Richard Lederer, a word expert. Lederer notes that the expression “under the weather” comes from the language of sailors.

Imagine being on a boat on rough seas. The waves continually force the boat up and down and side to side. This continual movement can make many people feel seasick.

He writes that “on the high seas when the wind would start to blow hard and the waves became rough, crewmen and travelers would go below deck.” They actually went “under the weather” to find safety, shelter and to avoid becoming seasick.

Years ago, only sailors described seasick sailors as being “under the weather.” But today, we use this expression anytime someone is not feeling well.

Now, let me use this phrase in a few sentences.

I just can’t go out tonight. I am feeling under the weather. But thanks for the invite.

After standing outside in the cold rain waiting to buy concert tickets, the young woman awoke the next day feeling under the weather.

If you feel under the weather, you should really go home and rest.


Source: https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/feeling-under-the-weather-/5438449.html

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Definitions:

extreme -- n. furthest from the center or a given point; outermost.

hungover – adj. disagreeable physical effects following heavy consumption of alcohol or the use of drugs

idiom – n. an expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its separate words but that has a separate meaning of its own

deck – n. a flat surface that forms the main outside floor of a boat or ship

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Discussion questions:

  1. What is interesting or new to you from reading this article?

  2. Describe a time you had felt "under the weather" or, if you'd like, been "sick as a dog".

  3. What are some terms or idioms in your language related to illness or being sick?