语言小点心 A Chip from the Old Block 一个模子刻出来似的

Exercise 练一练

1. If we call someone a chip off the old block, we mean they are:

a) good at making furniture

b) police officers

c) similar to their parents

2. What was the 'block' made of in the origin of this expression?

3. Which very well-known international figure is a chip off the old block?

Script 读一读

You’re listening to British Council’s English Online podcast and I’m Nina. Today on Language Snacks we take a look at the expression a chip off the old block. Let’s listen to the dialogue.

您正在收听的是英国总领事馆英语在线播客栏目，我是Nina。今天的英语点心节目我们一起来看下a chip off the old block 这个短语。让我们来听下面的对话。

A: Guess who I saw the other day?

A：猜猜那天我看到谁了?

B: Go on, who?

B：说啊，是谁?

A: Helen! And guess what? She's joined the police, just like her dad.

A:Helen，你知道吗，她当警察了，跟她爸爸一样。

B: Really? She's a chip off the old block, isn't she?

B：真的吗?她跟她爸还真是一个模子刻出来的，是吧?

A: Yes! She was always very similar to her dad though, wasn't she?

A：对啊，不过她一直都像她爸很像呢，是吧?

When we describe someone as a chip off the old block, we mean that they are similar to one or both of their parents. It could be about their appearance or their behaviour. The expression comes from carpentry and the idea is that the parent is a 'block' of wood, and the child is a small 'chip' of the same material. A famous example of a chip off the old block is George W.Bush, who, just like his father, went into politics and, of course, became the president of the Unites States.

说某人是 a chip off the old block 一个模子刻出来的(一块木头上掉下来的木片)，意思是他们跟他们的父母很相像，这个可以是外貌上像，也可以是行为上的。这个短语出自于木工俗语，说的是父母就是一大块木头，而孩子呢就是这块木料上掉下来的一块木片。前总统小布什就是一个说明“木块上掉下来的木片”典型例子，和他父亲走同一条从政之路，然后成为美国总统。

And that’s it for now – join us again for some more Language Snacks. You’ve been listening to English Online – the podcast for English learners in China.

好了今天的节目就到这里，欢迎您继续收听下期《英语点心》。您正在收听的是”英语在线“，专为中国英语学习者的播客栏目。

Key 参考答案

1. c

2. wood

3. George W.Bush

你答对了吗?把每天的习语记下来，和Brits (口语，英国人)聊天时可以用得上哦。