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HONEST AND DISHONEST
( 2013-01-25 )



      古有名訓:不誠無物;人無信不立。英國有箴言:誠實是顆珍貴的寶石。美國自行車選手阿姆斯特朗靠注射禁藥參加比賽,誠信破產。


      IDIOMS OF HONESTY誠實的慣用語 :
      fair and square誠實、沒有作弊 /lay it on the lines實話實說 /on the level或on the square誠實正直 / wear your heart on your sleeve真情流露/ honest as the day is long非常誠實。
      毫不猶疑地說出對某事的想法或感受,無所顧忌 to say clearly what you think or feel about something,你可以說make no bones about something.
      毫不婉轉地把自已的想法告訴對方,哪怕會惹得對方不高興也在所不惜 to deal with something honestly, without hiding something, 你可以說pull no punches;相反地:to pull its punches means to deal with something in a way that is not completely honest or direct.
      HONESTLY有一個比較特別的用法:Honestly! I don't know what to do with you! 意思等於for heaven's sake;for goodness sake;really。 Here 'honestly!' is used as a kind of interjection or exclamation.


      坦白、直率的英語慣用語 :
      a straight arrow是老老實實、思想傳統的人/above board形容誠實及合法/call a spade a spade表示直言不諱。
      一個人行事光明磊落,可以形容他as clean as a whistle行為無懈可擊,或者squeaky clean道德高尚,挑不出他的毛病。
      如果你清楚公開說明你對某事的觀點或信仰,you nail your colours to the mast.
      如果你說話時正視某人,希望他相信你說的話,就算你可能正在撒謊,you look someone in the face.


      IDIOMS OF DIRECTNESS
      美國諺語:誠實人的話等於契約,說話坦率、做事直截了當的慣用語 :
      you do not mince your words直言不諱,說話不拐彎抹角/talk turkey坦率、直截了當地說/straight from the shoulder直截了當的/as straight as a die極其誠實/not beat about the bush不旁敲側擊,用直捷了當的方法,講出真實情況,就算這樣做不討好人。


      TELLING LIES說謊的慣用語,也多樣化 :
      a blatant lie赤裸裸的謊言/a bald-face lie厚顏無恥的謊話/a shocking lie明目張胆的大話;
      a bunch of big lies大話連篇;a tissue of lies 一派謊言;a cock-and-bull story無稽之談;
      lie through your teeth滿口謊言;睜着眼說瞎話;
      economical with the truth 沒有把實話完全講出來 ,隱瞞了一些重要事實。
      DECEIVING SOMEONE欺騙別人,有3個頗流行的說法:
      1. pull the wool over somebody's eyes蒙蔽某人;
      2. take somebody for a ride 詐騙某人;
      3. sell somebody a bill of goods 告訴他不真確的事。
      TO ADMIT A MISCONDUCT承認做錯事,坦白招認,如實招拱,你可以選擇說 :
      to make a clean breast of it /to come clean/to own up to it.
      見不得光的壞事,生動的形容詞有好幾個 :the affairs or business practices of a dishonest man are described as underhand /shady/tricky/shifty。
      不誠實的活動曝光,露出馬腳,最常用的說法是catch somebody red-handed當場抓住;現場捕獲。


      A DISHONEST PERSON不誠實的人,有多種類型,例如:
      快嘴快舌但不可信賴的人 someone who can talk in a clever way in order to persuade people to believe something that is not true,可以說a fast talker.
      陰險而偽善的朋友 someone who pretends to be your friend while secretly doing things to harm you ,可以說a snake in the grass.
      至於Someone who cannot be trusted, you can say he is as slippery as an eel表示他狡猾,不可靠。
      A dishonest man is a crook/a shark/ a racketeer。
      形容不誠實的人,你可以說 :he is a man without principles這個人做事不講原則;he may stab you in the back他會在你背後做小動作,傷害你,出賣你 。Always remember : Honesty is the best policy誠實才是最上策。

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