英語口語練習小對話 第902期:越軌;誤入歧途
A: You seem to be upset. What’s eating you?
你看起來心神不定的，有什麼煩心事兒啊？
B: It’s because of my son. Dick keeps getting on my nerves.
我的兒子總是讓我心煩意亂。
A: Dick? How come? He used to be as meek as a lamb.
Dick？怎麼會呢？他一直很乖的。
B: Yes, he used to be. But now he’s drifting off track.
他過去是這樣，現在總是不守本分。
A: He must have been in bad company, or he wouldn’t be off the beans.
他一定是和壞孩子在一起了，要不不會不如歧途的。
drift off track
1. 解詞釋義
Drift off有“漸漸離開”的意思，track 有“足跡，車轍”的意思，在這裏引申爲“正常的行爲準則”。因此，drift off the track就有“越軌，不守本分”“偏離正常行爲準則”之意。
2. 拓展範例
e.g. You never say a moral thing, and you never drifts off track.
你從來不侈談道德，可也從來沒有越軌行爲。
e.g. She acknowledged her close relationship with the boss but she claired that she never driffted off track.
她承認了他和上司之間親密關係，但是聲明她從來就並沒越軌的行爲。
e.g. My son did drift off track for a while in his late teens but he has settled with a family.
我兒子年輕時確實有些越軌行爲，但現在安下心來結婚成家了。
3. 視野拓展
drift off：迷迷糊糊地睡去，逐漸入睡
e.g. It was only when he finally drifted off to sleep that the headaches eased.
只有當他最後迷迷糊糊睡着時,他的頭痛纔有所減輕。
e.g. Its another 45 minutes before Morgan is finally able to drift off.
到邁甘美漸漸進入睡鄉的時候,時間已又過去了45分鐘。
e.g. Every time I drift off course, I get reminded of this story.
每當我對人生漫不經心時, 我就會想起這個故事。
e.g. I then lumbered back into bed and started to drift off.
然後又蹣跚地回到被窩進入夢鄉。
1. because of：因爲，由於
e.g. He had given up his job because of failing health.
由於體質衰弱他放棄了工作。
e.g. He lost his job because of incompetence.
因爲不能勝任，他失掉了職位。
get on one’s nerve：使心煩不安; 攪得人心神不寧
e.g. The bus driver had a short fuse this morning because the traffic was got on his nerve.
因爲今早的交通很令人心煩，所以公車司機破口大罵。
e.g. This guy really lays it on thick and his non-stop flattery is getting on my nerve .
這個傢伙真會拍馬屁；他不停的恭維真惹我心煩。
2. used to do sth. ：過去常常做某事
e.g. Naomi used to go to church in Granville every Sunday.
娜奧米以前每個星期天都去格蘭維爾的教堂做禮拜。
e.g. We used to be rushed off our feet at lunchtimes.
以前我們在午飯時間會忙得不可開交。
3. as meek as a lamb：非常溫順
e.g. A person with a terrifying hot temper will become, I believe, as meek as a lamb after a long stay by the seashore.
一個人，哪怕他的脾氣有如虎狼那麼兇暴，但是我相信如果長住在海濱的話，一定會變得和羔羊一般馴良。
4. bad company：惡友，壞人
e.g. He associated daily with bad company and soon lost all sense of shame .
他每天與壞人爲伍，不多時便毫無廉恥心了。
e.g. It is better to be alone than in bad company .
與惡友交不如獨處。
5. be off the beans：不走正道，誤入歧途
e.g. Carl was way off the beans though we advised him again and again.
雖然我們一再勸告卡爾，他還是誤入歧途。
e.g. Many young girls living alone in London are off the beans for lack of parental control.
許多在倫敦獨居的姑娘由於沒有父母的管教則誤入歧途。
1. Dick keeps getting on my nerves.
要點解析：用keep這個詞語來表示“不斷地做某事，不停地做某事”，後面的動詞要使用現在分詞。例如：He did not do his homework and keot watching TV all the day. （他一整天都功課也不做，就不停地地看電視。）
2. He must have been in bad company, or he wouldn’t be off the beans.
要點解析：這句話使用了虛擬語氣，是情態動詞must的虛擬語氣的用法。Must have been in bad company表示說話者非常肯定得猜測Dick在過去一定是跟壞人交往。Mus thave been這個結構表示“對過去發生的事情非常肯定的猜測”。
1. 你怎麼啦？
What is eating you?
2. 她和壞人交往。
She is in bad company.
3. 怎麼會呢？
How come?
