to turn one's back on someone
to get on someone's back
予首先我們要講的是:to turn one's back on someone。從字面上解釋,這是把自己的背對(duì)著某人??墒牵瑢?shí)際上這是指根本不理會(huì)某人,或不肯給那個(gè)有困難的人任何幫助。下面這個(gè)例子是一個(gè)弟弟在抱怨他的哥哥:
例句-1: I won't ever forgive my older brother--he turned his back on me and refused to lend me any money when I lost my job.
這人說(shuō):我永遠(yuǎn)也不會(huì)原諒我的大哥哥。當(dāng)我失去我的工作的時(shí)候,他根本不肯幫忙,一點(diǎn)錢都不愿意借給我。
這個(gè)哥哥也確實(shí)不太講兄弟之情。不過(guò),這恐怕也不是什么少見(jiàn)的事,有時(shí)候父親不認(rèn)孩子的事還有呢。下面的例子就是一個(gè)兒子在說(shuō)他爸爸:
例句-2: My father deserted my mother and me when I was five years old. But I can't turn my back on him now that he's old and sick. So I'm paying the rent for him on a little apartment in Los Angeles.
他說(shuō):"當(dāng)我五歲的時(shí)候,我爸爸拋棄了我媽媽和我??墒牵F(xiàn)在我爸爸又老又病,我可不能不管。他現(xiàn)在在洛杉磯租了一個(gè)小公寓套房,我替他付房租。"
******
下面我們要給大家介紹的一個(gè)俗語(yǔ)是:to get on someone's back。To get on someone's back是指對(duì)某人嘮嘮叨叨沒(méi)完。太太嫌先生不幫忙做家務(wù),先生又嫌太太太嘮叨,這個(gè)現(xiàn)象可能是沒(méi)有國(guó)界的,哪兒都存在。下面兩個(gè)例子表達(dá)了雙方的觀點(diǎn),先聽(tīng)太太的吧:
例句-3: I really don't like to get on Henry's back all the time. But after twenty years, you would think he'd learn to pick up his clothes and hang them in the closet to help me keep the house neat.
太太的話聽(tīng)起來(lái)很有理,她說(shuō):我實(shí)在并不喜歡老是對(duì)亨利嘮叨??墒牵昀?,你想他總學(xué)會(huì)了把自己的衣服揀起來(lái),掛在衣柜里,幫我把屋子弄乾凈吧!
先生倒也承認(rèn)太太有道理,但是就是......還是讓他自己說(shuō)吧:
例句-4: Helen is always on my back to make me pick up my clothes when I leave them lying around the house. She's right, of course, but I wish she wouldn't get on my back so much.
他說(shuō):每次我把衣服隨便扔的時(shí)候,海倫總是嘮嘮叨叨,讓我把它們揀起來(lái)。當(dāng)然,她是對(duì)的??墒?,我就是希望她不要那么嘮叨個(gè)沒(méi)完。