“talk to the wind”理解成“對風(fēng)說話”?有內(nèi)味兒了，但不準(zhǔn)確

中文里有一種表達與該短語意思相近-“對牛彈琴”

都是：某人說出的話不被重視、不起作用的意思

使別人“說話就好像對著空氣說一樣”

也就是聽不進別人說的話，把別人的話當(dāng)成“耳旁風(fēng)”

Tom didn't hear what I said at all.

It seemed that I was talking to the wind.

湯姆根本沒聽進我的話。好像把我的話當(dāng)耳旁風(fēng)了。

對話

A:Are you listening to me?Am I talking to the wind?

你在聽嗎?把我的話都當(dāng)耳旁風(fēng)了?

B:Hey,I'm listening to you.

嘿，我聽著呢。

把別人的話當(dāng)作“耳旁風(fēng)”也可以說成是“左耳朵進右耳朵出”

比如：

Everything I tell Tom goes in one ear and out the other.

我告訴湯姆的話他總是左耳朵進右耳朵出。

talk back to

頂嘴

“頂嘴”的英文表達中可沒有mouth一詞

這個詞的意思是“反駁”

所以可以用talk back to來表示

Jack often talks back to his mother.

杰克經(jīng)常和媽媽頂嘴。

對話

A:I don't agree with you.

我不同意你。

B:Don't talk back to me!

別和我頂嘴!

除此之外，answer back也可以表示“頂嘴”

In his youth he lost several jobs, just because he dared to answer back.

他年輕時，只不過因為敢頂嘴，就失業(yè)了好幾次。

speak ill of sb.

說壞話

Jack likes to speak ill of others.

杰克喜歡說別人壞話。

對話

A:It's heard that Jim is a mean guy.

聽說吉姆很小氣。

B:Don't speak ill of others.

別說別人的壞話。

如果已經(jīng)不只是說某人壞話而是“辱罵某人”

那應(yīng)該用call sb.names來表示(人稱用賓格形式)

You can call me names, but I won't change my mind.

你可以罵我，但我不會改變注意。

give someone the cold shoulder

愛答不理

“愛答不理”這個詞很難直譯，它實際上就是指“對人冷淡、怠慢”

所以可以形象地用give someone the cold shoulder來表示

Mary always gives Tom the cold shoulder.

瑪麗總是對湯姆愛答不理的。

對話

A:Why do you give John the cold shoulder?

你為什么對約翰愛答不理的?

B:He's so mean.

他很刻薄。

“愛答不理”還可以用treat sb.coldly表示

tall tale

瞎掰

“瞎掰”的意思就是胡說八道，講一些荒誕不經(jīng)、令人難以置信的事，

What Mike said were all tall tales.

邁克說的話全是瞎掰。

對話

A:John said he would marry Lily next week.

約翰說他下周要和莉莉結(jié)婚了。

B:Don't listen to his tall tale.

別聽他瞎掰。

除了tall tale外,tall story也可以表示同樣的意思

The judge didn't believe the tall story the accused told.

法官不相信這位被告所講的荒誕不經(jīng)的故事。