[VOA流行美语]第354课：pain in the neck

pain in the neck
to have had it

今天Michael会教李华两个常用语：pain in the neck和to have had it。

M: Hello? I'm sorry. I'm not interested. No. No thank you. Look, I said I am not interested!

L: Michael，是谁打来的电话，让你这么生气啊？

M: That was someone who wanted to sell me a magazine subscription over the phone. Those people are such a pain in the neck!

L: 嗯，我也不喜欢别人在电话里跟我推销东西。可是你叫他们什么？A pain in the neck？

M: That's right. Pain. A pain in the neck is something that is just very very annoying.

L: 噢，我明白了,“a pain in the neck”就是指讨厌到了极点。

M: Exactly. I can't stand telemarketers. When I get home and finally sit down, they always call. What a pain!

L: 那是真的很讨厌。哎,“a pain in the neck”是不是只能形容人呢？

M: Not always. Things or situations can be a "pain in the neck".

L: 噢, 所以，“a pain in the neck”还可以拿来指某样东西，或者是某种处境。那我可不可以说“It is such a pain in the neck when the electricity goes out”?

M: You've got it! And it really was a pain in the neck, too! I couldn't do anything last week when we had the blackout. I couldn't cook, couldn't watch TV......

L: 哎哟，不能看电视算得上什么“pain in the neck”。那天我开车回家，马路上连红绿灯都坏了，那才叫不方便呢。

M: Yeah, well that's all over now. Oh man! It's my neighbor again! He always plays his drums in the evening. It's such a pain in the neck.

L: 原来是你的邻居，他又在练习打鼓啊。唉，我也有个讨厌的邻居，她那只狗总是叫个不停，有时候晚上睡着了又给那狗吵醒了。真是个“pain in the neck”。

M: Yeah, well if it's that bad, why don't you ask your neighbor to do something about it.

L: 有啊。可是她不但不改，还和我们耍态度呢。这个人啊，也是个“pain in the neck”。

M: I guess the only thing worse than telemarketers are noisy neighbors.

******

M: I have had it! That guy has got to stop doing this.....I've got to call him.

L: 等等，Michael，你说“I have had it”，那是什么意思啊？

M: It means that I am so annoyed by something that I cannot stand it any longer.

L: 噢,“I have had it”就是你再也无法忍受了 ，是不是？

M: That's right. When we say "I have had it," we just mean that we have been dealing with the problem for a long time, and can't stand it any longer.

L: 哎，Michael，这次让我来接。(Speaking to phone in English) Hello? No, sorry, I'm not interested. No, I'm not the lady of the house. Listen, we've had it with you telemarketers! Leave us alone!

M: Wow, looks like you learned this phrase quickly. Don't you think you were a bit rude with them?

L: 什么？你说我粗鲁？哎呀，我真是受不了你。你这个人啊，就是没有魄力，什么事也做不成。你讨厌谁就直接告诉他嘛。还有啊，为什么你不敢理直气壮告诉你的邻居他打鼓的声音太吵了。光坐在那 儿抱怨有什么用吗？

M: Alright then, I've really had it with my neighbor. I'm going to do something about it this time.

L: (Mocking tone of voice) 哟，Michael，这回来真的啦。你要做什么，打电话向你妈咪诉苦吗？

M: I've had it with you too, Li Hua. You always laugh at me. You can be such a pain in the neck!

L: 哎呀，Michael，对不起嘛。我不是故意要气你的啦！不过你说的也没错，有的时候我还真的是“pain in the neck”。

M: No.....no. You're not really a pain in the neck. The noise is just making me crazy. I'm going to call that guy and tell him to stop.

今天李华学的两个常用语都和人的情绪有关，pain in the neck是讨厌到了极点，to have had it是再也无法忍受下去了。