Bite off more than you can chew 表示承担了超过能力或精力范围的任务。可能是一件太大的事,也可能是同时答应太多事,之后才发现应付不了。字面上是咬下超过能嚼动的一大口,有助于记住含义。这条习语较口语化,适合 IELTS Speaking;作文里用 take on too much 更直接。
什么情境适合说 bite off more than you can chew?
写一句英语,检查习语是否适合当前情境,以及哪里需要修改。
本次检查比平时稍久,完成后反馈会自动显示在这里。
bite off more than + you/I/she + can/could chew; have bitten off more than + I/we + can chew
- I bit off more than I could chew when I agreed to organise the whole conference alone.
- Taking four courses while working full-time, Olga soon realised she had bitten off more than she could chew.
- Six cities in five days? I think we've bitten off more than we can chew with this trip.
修改原因
修改前Last term I bit off more than you can chew and failed two exams.
修改后Last term I bit off more than I could chew and failed two exams.
词典常用 you 列出习语,让人误以为整句不能改。但代词和时态都要与具体句子一致:I bit off more than I could chew、she has bitten off more than she can chew。修改只把 you can 改成 I could。
Have a lot on your plate 也表示事情很多,但不带自责:I have a lot on my plate this week 只是说这周很忙。Bite off more than you can chew 则强调接下太多事情,高估了能处理的工作量。
动手练习
Tom promised to paint the whole house on his own in one weekend, but by Sunday night he had finished only the kitchen: he had ___.
查看答案
bitten off more than he could chew — Tom 答应的任务太大,最终没做完,说明高估了能力,所以用 bitten off more than he could chew。Bitten the bullet 是终于下决心做不愉快的事;这里的问题是任务量超出了能完成的范围。
回想一次在工作、学习或旅行中安排得太满的经历。说明承担了什么,以及怎样发现应付不了。
I bit off more than I could chew when I signed up for three online courses at once, and after a month I was behind in all of them.
练习把新词用准确
用正在学的词造句。LetsWords 检查用法和语法,提供修改与母语解释,再通过复习巩固。
