PETS－2语法讲解(299)

We're all in the same boat.
　　中国人说：同舟共济，我们坐在同一条船上，就要同心合作面对眼前困难，英文也有坐在同一条船的说法：We're all in the same boat. 我们坐在同一条船上，比喻我们面对同样的处境，也可简单地说：We are all in the same situation./We are all going through the same thing。
　　对话
　　Bill: I was just told I have to take a pay cut.
　　George: We were all told that. You're not alone.
　　Bill: But I really can't take this cut, I won't be able to survive.
　　George: We're all in the same boat. It will be tough on all of us.
　　比尔：我被通知要减薪。
　　乔治：我们都收到通知，不只你一人。
　　比尔：但我实在不能接受，我无法活下去的。
　　乔治：我们坐在同一条船，未来日子大家都不好过。
　　经济不景气，公司减薪，比尔的同事说：We're all in the same boat. It will be tough on all of us.（我们坐同一条船，未来日子大家都不好过）。
　　英国人是个航海民族，所以不少成语和船有关，to be in the same boat就常用来比喻‘处于同一境况’，往往指不幸境况，例如：(1) Like you, I have been hard hit by the economic depression. We two are in the same boat.（我和你一样，惨受经济衰退打击。我们的处境没有分别）。(2) You and I are in the same boat: we both have to do the night shift.（我们一样都要上夜班）。
　　大家在同一家公司工作，固然可以说We are in the same boat；欢迎新同事，也可用船作比喻：Welcome aboard!按aboard本是指‘在船上’，后来也指‘在飞机上’，更可引申解作‘加入某机构’。He came aboard as personnel manager即‘他加入公司任人事部经理’。
　　It will be tough on all of us的tough是‘艰苦’的意思。面临苦日子，你可以说：We will have to rough it.（我们得节衣缩食捱过去）。Rough一般指‘粗糙’，是形容词；但rough it这成语是以rough作动词，指‘过艰苦生活’，例如：We could not afford to stay in a hotel, so we had to rough it in a shabby hostel.（我们没有钱住旅馆，只有不辞简陋，到一家三等宿舍下榻）。
　　说‘困苦境况’，英文有一个字：plight。I thought of the plight of the homeless即‘我想到无家可归者的苦境’。比尔的同事可以说：We’re all in the same plight。