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美国习惯用语第851:paint oneself into a corner

时间:2016-05-09 09:10:11

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(单词翻译)

 美国习惯用语第851:让自己陷入困境(音频)

paint oneself into a corner
我表姐最近遇到了一件很为难的事。她准备两个月后结婚,并答应让自己最要好的朋友做伴娘,可是她忘了,其实她早就把伴娘的角色许给了自己的亲妹妹。
我真不知道她要如何才能脱身。用我们今天要学的习惯用语来形容她的处境恰如其分,那就是:paint oneself into a corner.
在英语里,paint是画的意思,corner是角落。To paint oneself into a corner, 意思是让自己陷入困境。我表姐的情况一个很好的例子,因为她把伴娘的重要任务许给了两个人, She painted herself into a corner. 别以为自己为难自己的人只有她一个。让我们一起来听听下面这个人的故事。
例句-1:To make extra money, I took a part-time job. But then one of my co-workers at my full-time1 job quit and I volunteered to do some of his work. Now I've really painted myself into a corner. I've taken on too much. It's impossible for me to get everything done!
这个人说:为了多赚点钱, 我找了份兼职工作。后来我的一个同事辞职,我主动提出分担他留下来的一部分工作,如今我是自作自受,揽了太多的工作,简直是分身乏术。
我也经常干这种傻事。比如说,最近公司有个大项目,时间很紧,我主动承担了下来,谁知负责该项目的另外一位同事突然生病,我只好周末加班,一个人干两个人的活。I painted myself into a corner.
******
我上周末去看电影,是去年夏天一部大片的续集。电影里的主人公本来已经死了,可以因为影片很卖座,所以制片人决定让主人公起死回生。让我们一起听听下面这个娱乐记者的报道。
例句-2:How can there be a movie sequel when the main character was killed off? Writers are used to coming up with solutions to impossible situations. They're not about to paint themselves into a corner. So they'll find ways to miraculously2 save the hero or explain that his death was only a dream!
这个记者说:主人公死了还能拍续集?不论是多么不可能的事情,编剧们都能找到出路。他们绝不会让自己陷在里面拔不出来。他们会神奇地找到解救主人公的办法,或是说他的死其实是一场恶梦。
让自己陷入困境是, paint oneself into a corner. 如果是别人让你陷入困境该怎么说呢?那就是要用到动词back了,那就是,back someone into a corner. 我朋友的公司最近紧缩开支,通知他,要么同意减少工资,要么就走人。They backed him into a corner. 再比如,我们社区委员会主任让我组织节日游行,但是给我的经费又少得可怜。I feel like she is backing me into a corner。

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1 full-time SsBz42     
adj.满工作日的或工作周的,全时间的
参考例句:
  • A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
  • I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作,我不知道她是如何对付的。
2 miraculously unQzzE     
ad.奇迹般地
参考例句:
  • He had been miraculously saved from almost certain death. 他奇迹般地从死亡线上获救。
  • A schoolboy miraculously survived a 25 000-volt electric shock. 一名男学生在遭受2.5 万伏的电击后奇迹般地活了下来。

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