摘要：在古罗马的角斗中，公众若希望角斗士活就竖起拇指朝上，若希望他被杀死就伸出拇指朝下。在中国拇指朝下一般表示鄙视，拇指朝上一般表示称赞，翻译时要注意中英文化之间的差异。

thumbs up/down

翘拇指（表示接受或成功）；拇指向下（表示拒绝或不成功）

thumb /θʌm/

n.拇指；(手套的)拇指部分

v.翘起拇指请求搭乘(过路汽车)；示意请求搭便车；用拇指摸；用拇指捋

used to show that sth has been accepted/rejected or that it is/is not a success

【词源探析】

In contests in ancient Rome the public put their thumbs up if they wanted a gladiator to live, and down if they wanted him to be killed.

在古罗马的角斗中，公众若希望角斗士活就竖起拇指朝上，若希望他被杀死就伸出拇指朝下。在中国拇指朝下一般表示鄙视，拇指朝上一般表示称赞，翻译时要注意中英文化之间的差异。

请看经典例句：

The financial markets have given the thumbs up to the new policy

金融市场已经接受了新政策。

It more or less gets the thumbs up from everyone.

它多多少少得到了每个人的支持。

The government's plans have got the thumbs up from the trade union.

政府的计划得到工会的赞许。

It looks like it's thumbs up for their latest album.

看样子他们的最新歌曲专辑成功了。

Their proposals were given the thumbs down.

他们的建议遭到拒绝。

Peters turned thumbs down on going to the exhibition.

彼得一家不赞同去展览馆。

I turned thumbs down on voting Mr. Brown.

我拒绝投布朗先生的票。

He turns thumbs down on things like embezzlement and tax evasion.

他反对像挪用公款和逃税的事情。

They turned thumbs down on my idea.

他们拒绝了我的主意。

Getting the thumbs down to yet another college application has really disheartened me.

申请大学又一次被拒绝了，这让我很沮丧。

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives lost in two out of three regional state elections as German voters gave a thumbs-down to her refugee policy.

德国总理默克尔的保守派在三个州地区选举中的两个州落败，显示德国选民对其难民政策的否定。

来源：翅膀英语一点号