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Cold weather has a great effect on how our minds and our bodies work. Maybe that is why there are so many expressions that use the word "cold". For centuries, the body’s blood has been linked closely with the emotions. People who show no human emotions or feelings, for example, are said to be cold-blooded. Cold-blooded people act in cruel ways. They may do brutal things to others intentionally. For example, a cold-blooded killer may murder someone not for reacting to anger or fear or in self-defense. He seemed to kill for no reason and with no emotion as if taking someone’s life as nothing.

Cold can affect other parts of the body, the feet, for example. Heavy socks can warm your feet if your feet are really cold. But there is an expression, to get cold feet, that has nothing to do with cold or your feet. The expression means being afraid to do something you had decided to do. For example, you agree to be president of an organization. But then you learn that all the other officers have resigned. All the work of the organization will be your responsibility. You are likely to get cold feet about being president when you understand the situation.

Cold can also affect your shoulder. You give someone the cold shoulder when you refuse to speak to them. You treat them in a distant cold way. The expression probably comes from a physical act of turning your back toward someone instead of speaking to him face to face. You may give a cold shoulder to a friend who has not kept a promise he made to you, or to someone who has lied about you to others.

A cold fish is not a fish. It is a person. But it is a person who is unfriendly, unemotional and shows no love or warmth. A cold fish does not offer much of himself to anyone. Someone who is a cold fish could be cold-hearted.

Out in the cold is an expression often heard. It means not getting something that everybody else got. A person might say that everybody but him got a pay raise and that he was left out in the cold. And it is not a pleasant place to be.

短语串记

1. cold-blooded adj.冷血的,残酷(忍)的

eg: Snakes are cold-blooded. 蛇是冷血动物。The cold-blooded murder shocked the small town. 这起残忍的凶杀案震惊了小镇。

2. get cold feet

该习语在美国非常流行,意指一个人对某事过度紧张,吓得两腿发软,以至于想临阵退缩。例如你要上台演讲,突然觉得自己准备不充分,完全失去了自信,这时候你就可以说,"I’m getting cold feet. Someone please help me."(我太紧张了,请谁来帮帮我。) 相信很多朋友都看过朱莉娅·罗伯茨(Julia Roberts)主演的《落跑新娘》(Run away Bride),影片中的玛琪因婚姻恐惧症而四度逃婚,像这种情形我们就可以说,"She got cold feet before her wedding."

3. give someone the cold shoulder

故意对某人不友好,显示出讨厌或轻视某人的态度

4. cold fish

冷鱼？非也！不是鱼,而是人,哈哈哈。cold fish是指那些对人很冷淡,很不友好,根本没有意思和别人友好相处的人。这些人往往不受人欢迎。

5. out in the cold 被冷落,被忽视

eg: I felt I was out in the cold at the party so I thought I’d better go home.聚会中,我感觉自己被冷落一旁,所以我想我最好回家。

由cold组成的短语还有很多,比如cold comfort(小小的安慰或弥补,聊以自慰的事),make one’s blood run cold(使……吓得要命),pour cold water on(浇冷水,使……泄气)等等。但有一点请注意,那就是凡由cold组成的短语大多有"不好"的意味。希望同学们在以后的学习中注意总结。