2013年下半年英语四级考试口语对话2

　　约翰的发明震惊了全国。

　　B: He is really terrific!

　　他真行。

　　A: He was very clever when he was a boy.

　　他小的时候就非常聪明。

　　set by ears

　　此语源于一个斗狗的故事。有两个好事之徒以狗打架，就分别揪住狗的耳朵让它们相斗。转义为“使人争吵，使人不和”，还可以表示“因新发现而引起轰动或使人震惊”之意。

例子

　　释义1： 使人争吵，使人不和

　　e.g.During his short stay, Philip set us all by the ears .

　　菲利普在这时短期逗留期间，搬弄是非，搞得大家不得安宁。

　　e.g.They got on well enough together until the question of promotion set them all by the ears .

　　他们原来一直相处得很好，后来提职一事引起了他们之间的不和。

　　e.g.Uncle always seems to set the family by the ears .

　　叔叔好像总是使一家人不和。

　　e.g.She set the whole neighborhood by the ears .

　　她使四邻不和。

　　释义2： 使人震惊，一鸣惊人

　　e.g.He seemed a very lively young man, certain of his own abilities and eager to set people by the ears .

　　看来他是个非常活跃的青年，对自己的能力十分自信，且急于一鸣惊人。

　　e.g.He set the whole city the ears with beating the champion.

　　他击败了冠军而一鸣惊人。