阿苗

There are many expressions using the word “easy” in English. So today， lets start with the word “easy”.

英语中有很多表达中使用了“easy”这个词。今天我们就从“easy”这个词说起吧。

Everyone has its own way of saying things， its own special expressions. Some are easy to understand. The words create a picture in your mind.

每个人都有自己特定的说话方式和特殊的表达方法。有些短语简单易懂，你能在脑海中浮现出它们的形象。

“As easy as falling off a log （n. 原木）” is one such expression. It describes a job that does not take much effort. If you ever tried to walk on a fallen tree log， you will understand what the expression means. It is easier to fall off the log than to stay on it. The expression is often used today. For example， you might hear a student say to her friend that her English test was as easy as falling off a log.

“像从原木上掉下来一样容易（小菜一碟）”就是这样一个短语。它形容的是毫不费力的活儿。如果你曾经尝试行走于倒下的原木上，你就会明白这个短语表达的意思。相比呆在原木上，人更容易从上面摔下来。今天我们也时常用到这个短语，例如，你可能会听到一个学生对她的朋友说英语测验对她来说简直是小菜一碟。

There are several other expressions that mean the same thing. And their meaning is as easy to understand as falling off a log. One is， easy as pie. Nothing is easier than eating a piece of sweet， juicy pie， unless it is a piece of cake. A piece of cake is another expression that means something is extremely easy to do. A friend might tell you that his new job was a piece of cake.

还有另外几个短语意思相同，这些短语的意思也像“从原木上掉下来”一样简单易懂。其中有一个是“像吃馅饼一样容易”。没有什么事儿比吃香甜多汁的馅饼更简单的了，除非是它是“一块蛋糕（小菜一碟）”。小菜一碟是另一个表示某事极其容易的短语。有朋友可能告诉你他的新工作简直是小菜一碟。

Another expression is as easy as shooting fish in a barrel （n. 桶）. It is hard to imagine why anyone would want to shoot fish in a barrel. But， clearly， fish in a barrel would be much easier to shoot than fish in a river. In fact， it would be as easy as falling off a log.

另一个表达是“在木桶里叉鱼一样容易”。很难想像为什么有人要在木桶里叉鱼。但是，很明显，在木桶叉鱼比在河里容易多了。事实上，这就像从圆木上摔下来一样容易。

Sometimes， things that come to us easily also leave us just as easily. In fact， there is an expression “easy come， easy go” that shows this. You may win a lot of money in a lottery， then spend it all in a few days. Easy come， easy go. When life itself is easy， when you have no cares or problems， you are on easy street. Everyone wants to live on that street.

有时候，东西来得容易，去得也容易。事实上，有个短语正好说明了这个现象——“来得容易，去得也容易”。你可能中彩票得了很多钱，而接下来的几天就把钱花光了。真是来得快，去得也快。当生活本身很惬意，你也无忧无虑，那么你正走在“康庄大道”上。这正是每个人都想要的生活。……