英語口語練習小對話 第148期:折磨某人 改觀事物

迷你對話：

A:I want togive our kitchen the works.

A:我想把我們的廚房完全裝修一遍。

B:Why? I think it’s convenient and good.

B:爲什麼？我覺得它很方便很好呀。

A:No. The decoration has been out-of-date. My friends have a whole kitchen now. It’s modern.

A:不，裝修已經過時了。我的朋友現在用的都是整體廚房，十分先進。

B:Why should we run after the fashion?

B:爲什麼我們要趕時髦？

A:I am not running after the fashion. I just want a very beautiful and clean kitchen .

A:我沒有趕時髦，我只是想要一個漂亮而又整潔的廚房。

地道表達：give somebody/something the works

解詞釋義：give somebody the works表示“給某人吃苦頭，折磨某人，懲罰某人”，也可以表示“殺害某人”，而give something the works則表示“對某物進行全套處理，使某物大爲改觀”。

支持範例：

（1）給某人吃苦頭，折磨某人

Eg. WhywasI alwaysgot the works, always browbeaten, always accused, forever condemned?

我爲什麼老受折磨，老受欺侮，老捱罵，一輩子也翻不了身呢？

Eg. He got captured in the matter how cruelly the enemygave him the works,he would never give in.

他在戰場中被俘，無論敵人如何殘酷的折磨他，他從不屈服。

Eg. Hegave the girl the worksuntil her death inch by inch.

他把那個女孩慢慢地折磨死了。

Eg. He put on a look of ineffable distress and said that he was aware how God hadgiven her the works.

他擺出一副說不出多麼傷感的神色說，他知道上帝怎樣折磨了她。

（2）殺死某人

Eg. The gangster told his friend he wouldgive him the worksif he double crossed him.

那個匪徒告訴他的朋友，如果他敢欺騙他，就要把他殺死。

Eg. She was out when her husbandwasgot the worksat home yesterday.

她丈夫昨天在家被人殺死時，她不在家。

Eg. She began to lose her mind after she learned that her father hadbeen got the worksby Hamlet.

在她獲知她的父親被哈姆雷特殺死之後，她便失去理智了。

Eg. The thieves intimidated the shopkeeper with threats that they wouldgot him the works.

那些盜賊威嚇店老闆, 威脅要殺死他。

（4）全然改觀某物

Eg. The headmaster made up her mind togive the campus the works.

校長決定對校園進行全面改觀。

Eg. My mother want togive her bed room the worksand she says it will make him have a sound sleep.

我媽媽要將她的睡房大改觀，她說這樣可以給她睡個安穩覺。

詞海拾貝：

1.out of date：過時，不適宜

Eg. I beg to point out that your information areout of date.

我要指出你帶來的信息已經過時了。

Eg. Your idea hasgone out of date.

你的觀念已經過時了。

Eg. To tell the truth, your design is quiteout of dateand not to the taste of the market .

老實說吧，你們的款式早已過時了，不合市場的口味。

Eg. A lot of new wordsgo out of datevery quickly.

不少新詞很快就不通用了。

2.run after：追趕：追求：尋求

Eg. If yourun aftertwo hare, you will catch neither.

一人追二兔，難免兩手空。

Eg. The princess had been rather fond of society, and much admired andrun afterbefore her marriage.

公主在婚前喜歡社交，深受大家愛慕和歡迎。

Eg. Mary likes torun afterevery new fashion.

瑪麗喜歡趕時髦。

Eg. He felt a wild desire torun afterthem, a certitude that he could run them down.

他心裏有一種發狂似的、想追趕它們的念頭，而且相信自己一定能追上去捉住它們。