今天Michael会教李华两个常用语:pain in the neck和to have had it。
M: Hello? I’m sorry. I’m not interested. No. No thank you. Look, I said I am not interested!
L: Michael,是谁打来的电话,让你这么生气啊?
M: That was someone who wanted to sell me a magazine subscription over the phone. Those people are such a pain in the neck!
L: 嗯,我也不喜欢别人在电话里跟我推销东西。可是你叫他们什么?A pain in the neck?
M: That’s right. Pain. A pain in the neck is something that is just very very annoying.
L: 噢,我明白了,“a pain in the neck”就是指讨厌到了极点。
M: Exactly. I can’t stand telemarketers. When I get home and finally sit down, they always call. What a pain!
L: 那是真的很讨厌。哎,“a pain in the neck”是不是只能形容人呢?
M: Not always. Things or situations can be a “pain in the neck”.
L: 噢, 所以,“a pain in the neck”还可以拿来指某样东西,或者是某种处境。那我可不可以说“It is such a pain in the neck when the electricity goes out”?
M: You’ve got it! And it really was a pain in the neck, too! I couldn’t do anything last week when we had the blackout. I couldn’t cook, couldn’t watch TV……
L: 哎哟,不能看电视算得上什么“pain in the neck”。那天我开车回家,马路上连红绿灯都坏了,那才叫不方便呢。
M: Yeah, well that’s all over now. Oh man! It’s my neighbor again! He always plays his drums in the evening. It’s such a pain in the neck.
L: 原来是你的邻居,他又在练习打鼓啊。唉,我也有个讨厌的邻居,她那只狗总是叫个不停,有时候晚上睡着了又给那狗吵醒了。真是个“pain in the neck”。
M: Yeah, well if it’s that bad, why don’t you ask your neighbor to do something about it.
L: 有啊。可是她不但不改,还和我们耍态度呢。这个人啊,也是个“pain in the neck”。
M: I guess the only thing worse than telemarketers are noisy neighbors.
M: I have had it! That guy has got to stop doing this…..I’ve got to call him.
L: 等等,Michael,你说“I have had it”,那是什么意思啊?
M: It means that I am so annoyed by something that I cannot stand it any longer.
L: 噢,“I have had it”就是你再也无法忍受了 ,是不是?
M: That’s right. When we say “I have had it,” we just mean that we have been dealing with the problem for a long time, and can’t stand it any longer.
L: 哎,Michael,这次让我来接。(Speaking to phone in English) Hello? No, sorry, I’m not interested. No, I’m not the lady of the house. Listen, we’ve had it with you telemarketers! Leave us alone!
M: Wow, looks like you learned this phrase quickly. Don’t you think you were a bit rude with them?
L: 什么?你说我粗鲁?哎呀,我真是受不了你。你这个人啊,就是没有魄力,什么事也做不成。你讨厌谁就直接告诉他嘛。还有啊,为什么你不敢理直气壮告诉你的邻居他打鼓的声音太吵了。光坐在那 儿抱怨有什么用吗?
M: Alright then, I’ve really had it with my neighbor. I’m going to do something about it this time.
L: (Mocking tone of voice) 哟,Michael,这回来真的啦。你要做什么,打电话向你妈咪诉苦吗?
M: I’ve had it with you too, Li Hua. You always laugh at me. You can be such a pain in the neck!
L: 哎呀,Michael,对不起嘛。我不是故意要气你的啦!不过你说的也没错,有的时候我还真的是“pain in the neck”。
M: No…..no. You’re not really a pain in the neck. The noise is just making me crazy. I’m going to call that guy and tell him to stop.
今天李华学的两个常用语都和人的情绪有关,pain in the neck是讨厌到了极点,to have had it是再也无法忍受下去了。