英语口语练习小对话 第148期:折磨某人 改观事物

迷你对话：

A:I want togive our kitchen the works.

A:我想把我们的厨房完全装修一遍。

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

B:为什么？我觉得它很方便很好呀。

A:No. The decoration has been out-of-date.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

A:不，装修已经过时了。我的朋友现在用的都是整体厨房，十分先进。

B:Why should we run after the fashion?

B:为什么我们要赶时髦？

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

A:我没有赶时髦，我只是想要一个漂亮而又整洁的厨房。

地道表达：give somebody/something the works

解词释义：give somebody the works表示“给某人吃苦头，折磨某人，惩罚某人”，也可以表示“杀害某人”，而give something the works则表示“对某物进行全套处理，使某物大为改观”。

支持范例：

（1）给某人吃苦头，折磨某人

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

我为什么老受折磨，老受欺侮，老挨骂，一辈子也翻不了身呢？

Eg. He got captured in the battlefield.No matter how cruelly the enemygave him the works,he would never give in.

他在战场中被俘，无论敌人如何残酷的折磨他，他从不屈服。

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

他把那个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.

他摆出一副说不出多么伤感的神色说，他知道上帝怎样折磨了她。

（2）杀死某人

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

那个匪徒告诉他的朋友，如果他敢欺骗他，就要把他杀死。

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

她丈夫昨天在家被人杀死时，她不在家。

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

在她获知她的父亲被哈姆雷特杀死之后，她便失去理智了。

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

那些盗贼威吓店老板, 威胁要杀死他。

（4）全然改观某物

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

校长决定对校园进行全面改观。

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

我妈妈要将她的睡房大改观，她说这样可以给她睡个安稳觉。

词海拾贝：

1.out of date：过时，不适宜

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

我要指出你带来的信息已经过时了。

Eg. Your idea hasgone out of date.

你的观念已经过时了。

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

老实说吧，你们的款式早已过时了，不合市场的口味。

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

不少新词很快就不通用了。

2.run after：追赶：追求：寻求

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

一人追二兔，难免两手空。

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

公主在婚前喜欢社交，深受大家爱慕和欢迎。

Eg. Mary likes torun afterevery new fashion.

玛丽喜欢赶时髦。

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

他心里有一种发狂似的、想追赶它们的念头，而且相信自己一定能追上去捉住它们。