評論
打印
M:我是 Douglas Johnson.
女:今天晚上我們準備去姐姐家吃飯，可是我一點也不想去。原因是這樣，一個月前，我男朋友想要重新粉刷房子。雖然我侄子很想賺這個錢，但我男朋友還是找了個更有經驗的粉刷工。鬧得我侄子到現在都耿耿于懷。現在每次我們看到他都很尷尬。讓我想到一句習慣用語，那就是:
M:Chip on one's shoulder. Chip is spelled c-h-i-p, and shoulder; s-h-o-u-l-d-e-r. Chip-on-one's shoulder.
女:Chip是木塊的意思，而chip on one's shoulder，就是心里有根刺，懷恨在心的意思。上面我提到，因為我男朋友沒有把粉刷工作交給我的侄子，他一直心里有根刺。他一直在生我們的氣，這也就是為什么我不想去姐姐家吃晚飯的原因。下面這個例子里，我們來看看這名年輕學生遇到了什么困難。
M:"When I first went to private school, I had a hard time. I wasn't used to being around kids who came from wealthy families. And that upset me. Years later, my classmates told me how I always had a CHIP ON MY SHOULDER. That's because I felt they treated me badly because I wasn't rich."
[這段話是說: 我最開始到私人學校上學的時候，特別不適應。我不習慣跟那些富裕家庭的孩子在一起。很多年之后，我的同學告訴我，他們總覺得我非常冷漠，心里有根刺似的。這可能是因為我覺得自己不夠富有，所以老覺得其他人對我不友善。]
女:這也能夠理解，如果總覺得自己不如別人，很容易就會變得性格古怪。一般來說在比賽中，輸掉的一方都會have a chip on its shoulder. 可是今年的女子世界杯，美國女足給大家樹立了一個好榜樣。In interviews after the game, the American team showed how to be graceful in defeat. Team members didn't seem to have a CHIP ON THEIR SHOULDERS. 在賽后接受采訪時，美國隊顯示了如何從容地面對失利。她們一點也沒有懷恨在心。好了，我們再來聽聽剛才那段話:
M:"When I first went to private school, I had a hard time. I wasn't used to being around kids who came from wealthy families. And that upset me. Years later, my classmates told me how I always had a CHIP ON MY SHOULDER. That's because I felt they treated me badly because I wasn't rich."
女:大家都希望有個好的工作環境，這對每個人也確實非常重要。但是同事之間難免存在競爭，就像下面這個人 ，他在競爭中勝出了，可是還有什么可為難的呢? 我們來聽聽他對同事講的一番話:
M:"We've both wanted to move up in the company. So I'm sorry that the boss promoted me and not you. Every time I try to talk to you, you've got a CHIP ON YOUR SHOULDER. But if you want to be mad at someone, it should be with her. She made the decision."
[這段話是說: 我知道咱倆都想升職。所以對于老板沒有給你升職我感到很遺憾。但是每次我跟你說話的時候，你都好像對我懷恨在心似的。如果你要生誰的氣，應該也是老板的氣。因為是她做的決定。]
同事間相互競爭向來是個難以處理的問題。升職了當然高興，可是也難免遭到其他人的嫉妒。上面的例子中，My co-worker always has a chip on his shoulder because the boss didn't give him a promotion. 我的同事因為老板沒給他升職而懷恨在心。好的，我們再來聽聽剛才那段話:
M:"We've both wanted to move up in the company. So I'm sorry that the boss promoted me and not you. Every time I try to talk to you, you've got a CHIP ON YOUR SHOULDER. But if you want to be mad at someone, it should be with her. She made the decision."
今天我們學習的習慣用語是CHIP ON ONE'S SHOULDER，意思是“心里有刺，懷恨 在心”。好的，這次[美國習慣用語]就到此結束，我是楊琳，我是 Douglas Johnson。謝謝各位的收聽。
A:我有個朋友，就只因為有一次我沒去她的生日party, 她到現在都不理我! She always has a chip on her shoulder just because of such a little thing!
B:Hmm....那你向她道歉了嗎?
A:當然了! 我又寫郵件，又發短信，又打電話，可她就是不理我。我也聽別的朋友說，她經常有一點小事就大驚小怪的。
B:Yeah. Some people are like that. They tend to freak out over little things- they're so high-maintenance! You can't do a single thing wrong when you are around them.
A:Totally! 說起 freak out, 正好今天咱們的美語怎么說就要提到這個詞兒!
