Donny在北京学中文,他的中国朋友要是遇到了不知道用美语怎么说的词,就会来请教他。今天是方方要问的:软柿子
Donny: 方方,Why do you look so tired?
FF: 别提了,我今天又被同事叫去跑腿儿。。。好累啊!我真不想再当软柿子被人使唤了!我要告诉他们,I don’t want to be a…a….
Donny:你不是昨天才帮他们买咖啡吗? 你应该让他们 run their own errands! You should stop being a push-over!
FF: 你上次教我 run errands 是跑腿儿。那 a push-over 被人推来搡去,就是好欺负对不对?
Donny: 没错。a push-over 就是好欺负的人,你刚刚说什么”软狮子” 来着?
FF: 不是软狮子,是软柿子,吃的那种柿子。
Donny: Oh, “soft persimmon”? Sounds delicious! In English, you can also call a push-over a cowardly lion. A cowardly lion is someone who is supposed to be brave but lacks courage and acts cowardly.
FF: cowardly lion? 懦弱的狮子? 一个狮子,一个柿子。太有趣了。
Donny: 美国经典电影 “The Wizard of Oz” 里的狮子就叫Cowardly Lion.
FF: 原来是这样,那我绝对不要当 cowardly lion.
Donny: (Hahaha…) Yes, you should really stop being a cowardly lion and don’t let people push you over.
FF: 是啊! 我要告诉他们,不许再欺负我!不要来烦我!你快告诉我,这两句话英语怎么说?
Donny: You can say “stop bullying me.” Bully, B-u-l-l-y意思是欺负。“别烦我”更容易,我一说你准会,叫 Leave me alone.
FF: 我明天就去告诉他们,Stop bullying me! Leave me alone.
Donny: That’s right! Let’s see what you’ve learned today.
FF: 第一,软柿子可以说 push-over,也可以叫 cowardly lion.
第二,欺负人是 bully.
第三,别烦我是 leave me alone.