trying to find my feet 努力适应新环境

很多人身处陌生的环境，例如移民他乡或新的工作，便会感到浑身不安。 I’m trying to find my feet. 一语直译是“我正在寻找我的双脚”，其真正含意是“我正在努力适应新环境”，也可以有其它类似说法：I’m trying to orientate myself. (我引导自己朝向正确方向) / I’m trying to settle in.(我尝试安定下来) / I’m learning the ropes. (我正在学习新事物) 。

对 话

Gordon: US 8, UK 42. Ferrare Cavallo. Heel…(Lying on couch & examining a pair of shoes)

戈登: 美国码8号、英国码42号、意大利真皮、鞋后跟…(躺在沙发并反复观看一双皮鞋)

Katherine: Hurry up! You’ll be late for work. What are you doing?

凯思莲: 快点！你快迟到了，你在干什么？

Gordon: I’m a little bit worried about my new job. I’m trying to find my feet.

戈登: 我只是有点担心新工作，我正尝试适应新环境。

Katherine: That’s the trouble then you deserve the boot.

凯思莲: 问题就是这里，你该被解雇。

Gordon: Why ?

戈登: 为什么？

Katherine: You work in a shoe shop and if you don’t even know where your feet are, then there’s no future for you there. Now get a move on before I put my foot in your…

凯思莲: 你在鞋店工作，但居然不知自己脚踏何地。呆在这里是没有前途的，你再不动身，我就把脚塞进你的…

Gordon: Alright, alright, I’m leaving.

戈登: 好的，好的，我马上出门。

[多学一点点] 脚的成语

戈登在鞋店找到工作，却懒洋洋躺在沙发上不上班，拿着鞋反复观看，说I’m trying to find my feet；凯思莲对他说：You deserve the boot. Now get a move on before I put my foot in your...。

Your 之后应是mouth一字。To put one’s foot in one’s mouth是成语，意思是“说了不得体的话”或“不自觉的说了令人难堪、不满的话”，例如：You put your foot in your mouth when you said to him that homosexuals were “perverted animals”. He is gay（你不应该跟他说同性恋者是“变态动物”。他有断袖之癖）。凯思莲那一句，当然不是指说错了话，只是套用和脚有关的成语警告戈登：“你再不动身，我就把脚塞进你嘴巴里！”

You deserve the boot直译是“你应得到长靴”。成语to get the boot是“被炒鱿鱼”或“被驱逐”，to give someone the boot则是“炒人鱿鱼”或“把人驱逐”，例如：(1) The boss has given him the boot for his rudeness to customers（老板见他对顾客无礼，就炒他鱿鱼）。(2) If you are not decently dressed, you may get the boot（假如你衣着不得体，可能会被逐离出场）。

最后说to find one’s feet。“找到自己双脚”本来是指婴儿学会独立走路，引申解作“能够独立处事”或“习惯新环境”，例如：Our boy gradually found his feet at the kindergarten（我们的儿子渐渐习惯幼儿园的环境）。To stand on one’s own (two) feet则等于独立：To stand on my own feet, I must get a job即“要独立，我必须先找到工作”。