第一， 迷你對話

A: My son used to hang around with a gang. But my husband saw the writing on the wall and we nipped it in the bud.

我兒子過去經常和一幫壞孩子在一起，被我丈夫瞧出了端倪，把它扼殺在萌芽狀態(tài)了。

B: That is what parents always take care to do. We can’t let them go astray.

這是父母經常關心的事情，我們不能讓他們誤入歧途。

A: No, we can’t. We must make sure that the kids do not go off the beans.

是的，不能。我們必須看清楚，不能讓他們做壞事。

第二， 地道表達

hang around with someone

1. 解詞釋義

Hang around with someone可以表示“在到處閑逛，閑呆著”，還可以表示“和某人廝混在一起”的意思。

2. 拓展范例

e.g. I don't want you to hang around with those roughnecks.

我不希望你和那些粗魯?shù)娜嘶煸谝黄稹?/p>

e.g. He hobnobbed with them, drank with them, and loved to hang around with them.

他與這些人密切交往，在一塊喝酒。他很愛同他們一起鬼混。

第三， 咬文嚼字

1. writing on the wall：不祥之兆，災難降臨的預兆

e.g. The increase in electricity prices is the writing on the wall for many small businesses.

電費的提高對許多小企業(yè)來說是個不祥之兆。

e.g. Bill saw the writing on the wall and resigned from office before he was dismissed.

比爾看到了不祥之兆，因而在被開除以前他辭去了工作。

2. nip … in the bud：防患于未然；把它消滅在萌芽狀態(tài)

e.g. Nip the evil in the bud.

壞事應當在一開始就加以根除。

e.g. Guessing his intentions, she had resolved to nip them in the bud.

她猜到他的用意之后，就決定防患于未然，使之不能實現(xiàn)。

3. take care：注意，小心

e.g. Take care not to deviate.

當心不要出偏差。

e.g. I will take care to have it put into the proper channel.

我會負責這件事，通過正常的途徑來處理。

4. go astray：走入歧途

e.g. We will be very vulnerable to the devil's temptation and go astray.

很容易被惡魔誘惑而誤入歧途。

5. make sure：一定，確定

e.g. Make sure you are firm1y strapped in before the plane takes off.

飛機起飛前務必系好安全帶。

e.g. I'll make sure he doesn't put his foot in his mouth again.

我必須確信他不再胡說八道。

6. off the beam：做錯事，誤入歧途

e.g. She prayed that she would never be off the beams.

她祈禱但愿永遠不做錯事。