英语口语练习小对话 第902期:越轨;误入歧途

A: You seem to be upset. What’s eating you?

你看起来心神不定的，有什么烦心事儿啊？

B: It’s because of my son. Dick keeps getting on my nerves.

我的儿子总是让我心烦意乱。

A: Dick? How come? He used to be as meek as a lamb.

Dick？怎么会呢？他一直很乖的。

B: Yes, he used to be. But now he’s drifting off track.

他过去是这样，现在总是不守本分。

A: He must have been in bad company, or he wouldn’t be off the beans.

他一定是和坏孩子在一起了，要不不会不如歧途的。

drift off track

1. 解词释义

Drift off有“渐渐离开”的意思，track 有“足迹，车辙”的意思，在这里引申为“正常的行为准则”。因此，drift off the track就有“越轨，不守本分”“偏离正常行为准则”之意。

2. 拓展范例

e.g. You never say a moral thing, and you never drifts off track.

你从来不侈谈道德，可也从来没有越轨行为。

e.g. She acknowledged her close relationship with the boss but she claired that she never driffted off track.

她承认了他和上司之间亲密关系，但是声明她从来就并没越轨的行为。

e.g. My son did drift off track for a while in his late teens but he has settled with a family.

我儿子年轻时确实有些越轨行为，但现在安下心来结婚成家了。

3. 视野拓展

drift off：迷迷糊糊地睡去，逐渐入睡

e.g. It was only when he finally drifted off to sleep that the headaches eased.

只有当他最后迷迷糊糊睡着时,他的头痛才有所减轻。

e.g. Its another 45 minutes before Morgan is finally able to drift off.

到迈甘美渐渐进入睡乡的时候,时间已又过去了45分钟。

e.g. Every time I drift off course, I get reminded of this story.

每当我对人生漫不经心时, 我就会想起这个故事。

e.g. I then lumbered back into bed and started to drift off.

然后又蹒跚地回到被窝进入梦乡。

1. because of：因为，由于

e.g. He had given up his job because of failing health.

由于体质衰弱他放弃了工作。

e.g. He lost his job because of incompetence.

因为不能胜任，他失掉了职位。

get on one’s nerve：使心烦不安; 搅得人心神不宁

e.g. The bus driver had a short fuse this morning because the traffic was got on his nerve.

因为今早的交通很令人心烦，所以公车司机破口大骂。

e.g. This guy really lays it on thick and his non-stop flattery is getting on my nerve .

这个家伙真会拍马屁；他不停的恭维真惹我心烦。

2. used to do sth. ：过去常常做某事

e.g. Naomi used to go to church in Granville every Sunday.

娜奥米以前每个星期天都去格兰维尔的教堂做礼拜。

e.g. We used to be rushed off our feet at lunchtimes.

以前我们在午饭时间会忙得不可开交。

3. as meek as a lamb：非常温顺

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.

一个人，哪怕他的脾气有如虎狼那么凶暴，但是我相信如果长住在海滨的话，一定会变得和羔羊一般驯良。

4. bad company：恶友，坏人

e.g. He associated daily with bad company and soon lost all sense of shame .

他每天与坏人为伍，不多时便毫无廉耻心了。

e.g. It is better to be alone than in bad company .

与恶友交不如独处。

5. be off the beans：不走正道，误入歧途

e.g. Carl was way off the beans though we advised him again and again.

虽然我们一再劝告卡尔，他还是误入歧途。

e.g. Many young girls living alone in London are off the beans for lack of parental control.

许多在伦敦独居的姑娘由于没有父母的管教则误入歧途。

1. Dick keeps getting on my nerves.

要点解析：用keep这个词语来表示“不断地做某事，不停地做某事”，后面的动词要使用现在分词。例如：He did not do his homework and keot watching TV all the day. （他一整天都功课也不做，就不停地地看电视。）

2. He must have been in bad company, or he wouldn’t be off the beans.

要点解析：这句话使用了虚拟语气，是情态动词must的虚拟语气的用法。Must have been in bad company表示说话者非常肯定得猜测Dick在过去一定是跟坏人交往。Mus thave been这个结构表示“对过去发生的事情非常肯定的猜测”。

1. 你怎么啦？

What is eating you?

2. 她和坏人交往。

She is in bad company.

3. 怎么会呢？

How come?