迷你對話學地道口語第943期:自覺後路

第一， 迷你對話

A: Don’t do that again.

別再那麼做了。

B: Mind your own business.

不管你的事。

A: If you insist on this, you’ll give you enough rope to hang yourself.

如果你再堅持，你一定會自覺後路的。

B: Don’t make a fuss. I can never trust you.

別小題大做，我永遠都不會相信你的話。

第二， 地道表達

give sb. enough rope to hang oneself

1. 解詞釋義

Give enough rope to hang oneself的意思是“放任某人使他自取滅亡，自覺後路”。

2. 拓展範例

e.g. We all agree we don't want Sally on this new project. But instead of firing her directly, let's let her struggle with all the problems. Maybe we'll give her enough rope to hang herself.

你們都聽明白了嗎?原來這些同事雖然誰也不要Sally參與這個新課題，但是他們並不直截了當地排斥Sally，而是讓她陷於那一大堆問題之中窮於應付，等待Sally自己最後不得不知難而退。

e.g. We could ask the chairman to limit debate. But let's give this guy enough rope to hang himself. Let him talk as long as he wants - the longer he talks the more votes he'll lose.

我們可以要求主席限制辯論時間，但是我們還是讓那傢伙自取滅亡吧。隨他去大放厥詞。他言多必失，話越長，失去的支持票數就越多。

第三， 咬文嚼字

mind one’s own business：少管閒事

e.g. He asked me if I was married, so I told him to mind his own business.

他問我結婚了沒有，我叫他少管閒事。

e.g. He was sensible enough to mind his own business.

他很聰明，不管別人閒事。

insist on：堅持……

e.g. I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.

我一定要你給我一個直截了當的回答。

e.g. I insist on your taking immediate action to put this right.

我堅決要求你立刻採取行動把事情處理好。

make a fuss：大驚小怪，小題大做

e.g. Why do you always make a fuss over a trivial things?

只是點風吹草動, 你怎麼就大做文章？

e.g. It's nothing to make a fuss about.

沒必要着慌。