(1) ①go easy (on/with)意思是“慢慢来;别着急;别激动;别干得太猛;(对某人)别太严厉”。
- Go easy , dear, there's nothing to get excited about.
别激动,宝贝。没有什么好激动的。 - Go easy with Mary. Don't force things.
对玛丽别太严了,事情不能强求。 - “Go easy , ” said John to the other boys carrying the wardrobe down the stairs.
约翰对抬大衣橱下楼梯的其他小伙子说:“慢慢来!”
②go easy on/with还可表示“不要吃喝/用……太多”。
- Go easy on the cake. There isn't much left.
不要吃太多的蛋糕,没剩多少了。 - You'd better go easy on/with the milk; there isn't a lot left.
你最好别喝太多牛奶,没有很多了。
(2) go slow可以表示“(车)慢慢行驶;(人)生活得悠闲、平静一些;不太费力气”,在英式英语中,可表示“怠工”。
- The doctor advised Jim to go slow for a time, to give his heart a rest.
医生告诫吉姆在生活上放松一段时间,让心脏休息一下。 - Half the union members have stayed away from work for a week, and the rest express their sympathy and support by going slow (...the rest have been going slow in sympathy).
半数工会会员罢工一周了,其余的人以怠工表示同情和支持。
(3) slow down/up意思是“(使)放慢速度;放慢生活节奏”。
- The severe snowstorm has slowed the traffic down/up .
这场严重的暴风雪使交通慢了下来。 - The bus slowed up to allow the passengers to get on board.
公共汽车慢了下来,好让乘客上车。
(4) ①take it/things easy是“不要紧张;放松一些;慢慢来;不工作”。
- Take it easy , there's no need to be nervous.
放松一些,不必紧张。 - Sit down and take it easy!
坐下来放松一下! - You've done quite enough work for today; now take it easy for an hour.
你今天所做的工作已经够多的了,现在休息一个小时吧。 - I will retire from my job the year after next and my friends all advise me to take things easy .
我后年将退休,我的朋友都建议我放松一下。
②take it easy on sb.是“对……别太严厉”。
- Take it easy on Jim and don't scold him too much.
不要对吉姆太严厉,别过分责骂他。