英語口語練習小對話 第46期:一籌莫展

迷你對話：

A:Does he know that he has already at his wits' end?

他知不知道他已經山窮水盡了？

B:I think he has realized that. But he is still whistling in the dark by putting up an act.

我想他已經意識到了吧。但他仍裝腔作勢爲他壯膽。

A:He might be driven up a wall. You should not handle your relation with him with kid gloves.

他快就被逼得走投無路了。你應該用溫和的手段對付他。

B:But when I noticed that he was left in the cold, I could not help wanting to help him to get out of the situation.

但當我看到他孤家寡人的時候。我就不自由自主地想幫助他擺脫這種狀況。

詞海拾貝：

at one's wit's end：不知如何是好，山窮水盡

講解：該習語出自《聖經》。Wit指“智力”或者“思考能力”。At one's wit's end常用來表示一個人“一籌莫展”“不知如何是好”“山窮水盡”“想不出解決問題的辦法”。

Eg.I only had ten minutes to get to the station, but I could not find a taxi. I was at my wit's end.

我只有十分鐘的時間趕到火車站，但是我找不到一輛出租車。我不知如何是好。

when he was out at elbows and at his wits, end for money he kept up a bold face.

即使到了一貧如洗，一籌莫展的地步，他也滿不在乎。

Eg.I am at my wit's end, penniless, in a strange city.

我流落在一個陌生的城市裏，身無分文，一籌莫展。

Eg.I tried to think up some way to get that money, but I were finally at my wit's end.

我試圖想出一個法子來弄到這筆錢，誰知還是一籌莫展。

n the dark：在黑暗中，祕密地

was feeling about in the dark for the electric-light switch.

他在黑暗中摸索，找電燈開關。

's a wonder (that)you didn't lose your way in the dark.

令人驚奇的是你在黑暗中竟未迷路。

horne, by comparison, worked in the dark.

霍桑相形之下是默默無聞地工作的。

were kept completely in the dark about his plan to sell the company.

對他計劃將公司出售一事, 我們一直矇在鼓裏。

drive sb up a wall：使某人走投無路，使某人受不了，促使一個人非常緊張、難受或者是使他很煩燥

Eg. People like that just drive me up a wall!

那種人真是讓人受不了。

Eg. That guy in the next apartment has been playing his trumpet for four solid hours now and it's driving me up the wall! I' about ready to go next door and tell him to stop all the noise.

隔壁那套房間裏的人吹喇叭已經吹了整整四個小時了。這簡直快把我逼瘋了。我真是要跑到他那裏去，叫他不要再吹了。

and I have been friends more than ten years. She's very nice and I like her a lot. But she likes to criticize me whenever I wear a new suit. It drives me up the wall every time she does it.

瑪麗跟我交朋友已經有十多年了。她是一個很好的人；我也非常喜歡她。但是，我一穿新西裝，她總是喜歡批評我。每次她挑剔我衣服的時候，我真是非常惱火。

with kid gloves：巧妙地, 溫和地, 委婉地

handle with kid gloves：小心應付

gets angry ever easily; you must handle him with kid gloves.

他動輒發脾氣，你要小心地對付他。

must treat the whole situation with kid gloves.

我們必須謹慎處理整個形勢。

overly sensitive people must is handled with kid gloves.

對這種過分小心眼兒的人必須妥善應付。

is easily distressed. You'll have to handle her with kid gloves.

瑪麗動不動就傷心，你對待她得溫和謹慎些。

leave sb in the cold：冷淡對待某人，對人冷酷無情，不理睬某人，冷落某人

Eg. Every time I see you, you leave me in the cold.

每次我見到你，你都不睬我。

cannot help doing something：禁不住做某事，忍不住做某事

cannot help feeling considerable qualms about it.

他仍然不禁對它感到疑慮重重。

ever I hear the story, I cannot help crying.

每次我聽這故事，就忍不住要哭。

Eg.I cannot help worrying to hear that there is no steamer this week.

我聽到本週沒有船的消息，禁不住擔憂起來。

get out of：逃避, 戒除, 由 ... 出來

'll need luck to get out of a tight corner like that.

她要靠運氣才能擺脫那樣的困境。

Eg.I can't get out of the habit of waking at six in the morning.

我早上一到六點就醒，這習慣改不掉了。

Eg.I wish I could get out of the habit of smoking.

我希望我能改掉吸菸的習慣。