英语习语趣谈【76】欺人太甚 Phase out & Walk all over someone

本栏目由李福兵原创编写,Eyre绘图。

现在的手机、电脑淘汰很快。去年买的电脑硬盘配了40G,可是现在已经觉得不够使用,请厂家再配40个G,可是厂家说已经不生产40G的硬盘了,至少都是80G。哎,看来我的这个电脑是要phase out了。对了,朋友们知道这里的Phase out是什么意思吗?今天我们就来讲一讲这个片语。

The factory is phasing out that product. So it’s very difficult to buy it in the future.
(译文:这个厂正在逐渐淘汰这种产品,所以以后要买到它就很难了。)

这里的片语phase out意思是“逐渐淘汰”。 phase本来的意思是to make something happen gradually in a planned way,即使事情以计划好的方式逐渐的发生,而out是否定性副词,所以phase out 就是指“逐渐把某物淘汰”。To phase out something is to gradually stop using or providing it. For example:

Many countries called for the immediate sanctions against Iraq and phasing out the oil-for-food humanitarian program.
(译文:许多国家呼吁立即停止对伊拉克的制裁,并逐渐停止石油换食品的人道主义项目。)

下面我们来看一看今天要学习的第二个片语:walk all over someone.

Some people who let others walk all over them should change themselves. The first thing they must do is to become more confident.
(译文:那些让别人无理对待他们的人们应该改变一下自己。他们需要做的第一件事就是变得更自信一点。)

walk over本来的意思是“散步,走、踏”,朋友们想想,如果有人在另外一个人头上“散步”,是不是已经把人家欺负得很惨了?所以片语walk all over someone表达的意思就是“欺人太甚”。汉语中不正好有句俗话叫做:跑到某人头上拉屎吗?两者有异曲同工之妙。To walk all over someone means to treat someone badly by always making them do what you want them to do,without caring about what they want or feel.

Do you have no pride? Everyone knows, it’s important not to let others walk all over you. Why do you always let him walk all over you? Oh, I’m fed up with you.
(译文:难道没有一点自尊心吗?任何人都知道不让别人欺负到自己头上很重要。为什么你总是让他无理的欺负呢?哦!我受不了你了。)

结束语:自彩屏手机问世后,以前的手机就开始逐渐淘汰了(phase out)。但我不愿换掉手头的这个旧机子,因为使用久了,有了感情。可是同事一看我用那个旧手机就显得不屑一顾。心想我可不能让他们以这种方式无理的欺负到我的头上呀(walk all over me),干脆也换了吧!

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