“out of the blue”是一个口语化且生动的英语短语,核心含义是“突然地、出乎意料地、毫无预兆地”(without warning or explanation)。它强调事件发生得极其突然,完全不在预期之内,类似中文里的“突然之间”“晴天霹雳”“毫无征兆地”。
这个短语源于更古老的表达 “a bolt out of the blue”(晴天霹雳)——“bolt”指闪电,“blue”指蓝天。晴天里突然出现的闪电(毫无预兆),后来简化为“out of the blue”,保留了“意外”的核心语义。
“out of the blue”是介词短语,通常在句中作状语(修饰整个句子或动词),可置于句首、句中或句末,位置灵活。
表示事件“突然发生”,常与动词(如happen、come、appear等)搭配:
The accident happened out of the blue—no one saw it coming.(事故突然发生,没人预料到。)
A job offer came out of the blue while I was looking for work.(我找工作时,突然收到了一份offer。)
强调动作的“意外性”:
She called me out of the blue after 10 years of no contact.(失联10年后,她突然给我打电话。)
He quit his high-paying job out of the blue—everyone was shocked.(他突然辞掉了高薪工作,所有人都很震惊。)
Out of the blue, my childhood friend showed up at my door.(突然,我儿时的朋友出现在我家门口。)
Out of the blue, the teacher announced we’d have a pop quiz.(突然,老师宣布要进行突击测验。)
We were chatting when, out of the blue, the power went out.(我们正聊天,突然停电了。)
I was walking home when, out of the blue, it started pouring rain.(我正走路回家,突然下起了倾盆大雨。)
suddenly(副词):仅强调“快”,不一定“意外”(比如“我突然想起钥匙没带”可能是自己疏忽,不算“毫无预兆”)。
unexpectedly(副词):强调“意外”,但更正式,不如“out of the blue”生动。
all of a sudden(短语):与“out of the blue”接近,但“all of a sudden”更侧重“动作的突发性”,而“out of the blue”更强调“事件的不可预测性”。
必须加定冠词the:不能说“out of blue”,否则语法错误。
口语化强:适用于日常对话、小说等非正式语境;正式文体(如学术论文、商务报告)更建议用“unexpectedly”或“without warning”。
总结:“out of the blue”是描述“意外事件”的高频短语,用它代替“suddenly”能让表达更生动、有画面感,记住搭配和位置就能灵活使用~