迷你對話學地道口語第280期:鼓勵一番

迷你對話：

A: I have puzzled my brain about how to teach the children.

教育孩子的事情真讓我大傷腦經。

B: What is your problem?

你怎麼啦？

A: My children can never be obedient even if I criticized them severely.

即使我嚴厲批評他們，他們也不聽話。

B: You need not always do that. Why don’t you pat them on the back occasionally?

你不必總那麼做，你何不偶爾也鼓勵讚美他們一番呢？

地道表達：

pat on the back

解詞釋義：

pat做名詞，意思是“輕拍”。此語源於人們對他人表示愛撫，讚賞或安慰時所作的動作。所以，a pat on the back意思爲“讚揚”或“鼓勵”。

語法用法：

它既可以做名詞性短語，也可以做動詞性短語。相關搭配有：pat sb on the back（給某人鼓勵），give sb. a pat on the back（給某人鼓勵），get a pat on the back（得到鼓勵），deserve a pat on the back（應該得到讚賞或鼓勵）等。

支持範例：

The teacher gave her a pat on the back after she did well in the exam.

她考得不錯，老師表揚了她。

She receives a pat on the back for doing a good job.

她因表現良好而受讚美。

She deserves a pat on the back for all the hard work she's done.

她辛勤努力值得讚揚。

Pat yourself on the back when you succeed at something.

成功的時候要表揚自己。

詞海拾貝：

1. puzzle one’s brains：絞盡腦汁（以求解決某一問題）

範例：I'm puzzling my brains to find a way to keep head above water.

我絞盡腦汁想法不欠債。

He puzzled his brains to find the answer.

他絞盡腦汁以尋求答案。

Bob puzzled his brains, trying to remember where he left the book.

鮑勃絞盡腦汁試圖回憶起書丟在何處。

And though she puzzled her brains, she could not come at his answer.

她絞盡腦汁，卻仍然聽不懂他的回答。

2. even if：即使，即便

範例：I wouldn't lose courage even if I should fail ten times.

即使要失敗十次, 我也絕不灰心。

You must keep to the rules even if you think they're unfair.

儘管你認爲這些規則不公正，但也得遵守。

Don't let down even if the going is good.

即便在順利的情況下也不要鬆勁。

You shouldn't put on airs even if you were in charge.

即便你當頭頭,也不該擺架子。