盘点英语里好“方”的习惯表达

并不只有汉语才会把形状变成“我好方”这类的习语的……(这并不是习语好嘛!)

“方”，square，在英语里的出镜率可是高得惊人呢。

今天，双语君就来盘点一下英语里那些让人“方”了的表述。

Square 方形

to be a square peg in a round hole

方形的钉子插在圆形的孔里，指格格不入

➤ His appearance here is like a square peg in a round hole.

他在这里出现，显得有些格格不入。

to go back to square one

由于受挫或陷入僵局而从头开始

➤ The attempt failed and we had to go back to square one.

尝试失败了，因此我们得重新开始。

be there, or be square

一定要来，不见不散

通常是一种玩笑性质的施压，像是说，晚上party要来哦，谁不来谁是孙子。

➤ There's a bunch of people going to be at John's on Saturday. Be there or be square.

一堆人周六要去约翰家聚会呢，你不能不来哦。

call sth square/

square accounts

双方扯平、互不相欠

➤ He deliberately insulted me but I'll square accounts with him one day.

他故意侮辱我，但总有一天我会跟他算账的。

something doesn’t cut any squares with one

不受某事影响

➤ The quarrel doesn’t cut any squares with him.

他完全不受这场争吵的影响。

to be fair and square

公平对待每个人

➤ I ask no odds, I just want you to be fair and square.

我不要求特殊照顾，我只要求您公正。

to look someone square in the eye

看着某人的眼睛，表示坦诚

➤ He sat me down, looked me square in the eye and said, "I love you."

他拉我着坐下，看着我的眼睛说，我爱你。

on the square

诚实公正地、正大光明地

➤ We just want this trail on the square.

我们只希望这场审判能够正大光明地进行。

out of square

不一致;不协调

➤ Both reports are from supposedly reliable sources, but they are out of square.

两份报道按说来源都可靠，但两者却有出入。

a square answer

坦诚的答案

➤ He offered us a square answer.

他给了我们一个坦诚的答案。

to square away

校正或摆好;整顿就绪

➤ He is trying to get all his legal troubles squared away as soon as possible.

他努力把所有法律上的麻烦搞定。

a square deal

公平交易

➤ The workers were offered a square deal of a 40-hour week and guaranteed overtime.

工人们得到了每周40小时和保证支付加班费的公正待遇。

A square meal

一份完整的、营养丰富的餐食

Three square meals(经常简化为three squares)：指早、中、晚传统三餐。

➤ They haven't had a square meal for four or five days.

他们已经四五天没吃上一顿像样的饭了。

to square off

摆好架势准备战斗或比赛

➤ French soldiers squared off with a gunman at a road checkpoint.

在一个公路检查站法国士兵摆开阵势，准备迎战一名持枪者。

to square up

解决或妥协，也指勇敢地与某人或某事对峙

➤ I have something to square up with you.

我有点事要和你商谈解决一下。

➤ The world's most prestigious insurance company was last night squaring up to take on MPs who have accused it of being riddled with corruption.

世界上最负盛名的保险公司昨晚作出回应，要和那些指责其腐败泛滥的议员们较量一番。

to square one’s shoulders

挺起肩膀、胸膛，可指这一动作，也可比喻准备迎接挑战。

➤ You need to square your shoulders for the subsequent task.

为了接下来的任务，你要做好准备。

to attempt to square the circle

做不可能的事

➤ It is easier to square the circle than to get round a mathematician.

从数学家面前混过去比“化圆为方”还难。

to square something with someone

与某人就某事协调或达成一致

➤ I squared it with Dan, who said it was all right so long as I was back next Monday morning.

我征得了丹的同意，他说只要我下周一早上能回来就行。