爱看武侠小说的人总被峰回路转的剧情吸引,一口气把它看完,像这样非常好看的书,可以说:It´s a real page-turner.(这真是一本引人入胜的书)。如果内容精采得非看不可,可以说:It´s a must-read book,好看得令你爱不释手,则可说:I couldn´t put it down.(我舍不得把它放下来),另外,口气坐下来把它从头看到尾,可以说:I read it cover to cover in one sitting。
对话
Gordon: You´re reading that fast. 戈登: 你看得这么快。 Lisa: Oh yes. It´s a real page-turner. (Turning pages fast) 莉莎: 对,这真是引人入胜的书。(书翻得很快) Gordon: If it´s that good I must get a copy. I love an interesting book. 戈登: 如果这么好看,我一定也要一本,我爱看有趣的书。 Lisa: Don´t bother, I just read it fast because it´s so bad. Anyway, they just made a movie of it. Want to go and see it? 莉莎: 别麻烦了,我看得这么快是因为它很难看。他们刚把它拍成电影,要去看吗? Gordon: Yeah. 戈登:好的。
《翻过一页》
莉莎拿起一本书来看,觉得乏味,随便翻了翻说:It´s a real page-turner。这当然是反话。 Page-turner是指精采得令你不由自主一页一页翻着看,直到看完为止的书籍,形容词是page-turning,
例如:(1) I never expected the book to be such a page-turner. I could not put it down till I reached the end.(我想不到这本书那么好看。我看到最后一页才舍得放下来)。
(2) The page-turning story of the novel is a tribute to the writer´s imagination.(小说情节引人入胜,足见作者想象力多么丰富)。
像莉莎那样随随便便把书由头到尾翻一遍,英文叫做to page / leaf / thumb through a book,
例如:He paged / leafed through the glossy magazine, looking only at the pictures.(他拿起那本彩色杂志随便翻阅一遍,只看图片)。假如是匆匆看一遍,则多说to flip / flick through a book,例如:He flipped through the book, but did not find what he was looking for.(他匆匆翻阅了那本书一遍,但找不到要找的内容)。
A well-thumbed book就是一本经常翻阅、残旧不堪的书。Thumb是「拇指」,作动词,有「用指头翻书」含义。
说到翻书,有一句成语值得谈谈:to turn over a new leaf。所谓「翻过新的一页」,是指日记簿上的一页,一般有「改过自新」的意思,例如:After coming out of prison, he seems to have turned over a new leaf.(他出狱后,似乎洗心革面了)。