a black sheep 败家子

 

讲解：旧时牧羊人不喜欢黑色的，因为迷信认为黑色是魔鬼的化身，会给人带来厄运或灾祸。另外，黑羊毛不如白羊毛值钱，这也是一个原因。牧羊人会因羊群中有黑羊而诅咒不已。因此，a black sheep就引申为“败类”“败家子”的意思，与汉语中的“害群之马”相近。例如：Joe is the Black sheep of his family. He splashed nearly a few years.乔是个败家子。几年内他竟然挥霍掉十几万美元。

 

英语情景对话：

 

A :I don't know how John can put up with his son, who fools around without working.

 

B :He's out of John's hands. Nothing he can do about such a black sheep.

 

A :If I were him, I would give him a good talking-to. I would insist on his stopping fooling around like that.

 

参考中文译文：

 

A :我不知道约翰为什么能容忍他的儿子整天不工作，瞎混日子。

 

B :他不服约翰的管教，对这样一个败家子，约翰无可奈何。

 

A :如果我是约翰，我会教训他一顿，坚持不能让他再这么瞎混了。

 

英语学习笔记：

 

1.put up with：容忍，忍受

 

Your boss is an absolute dictator and I don't know how you guys put up with it.

你们的老板是一个十足的大独裁者，我不知道你们这些人怎能容忍。

 

2.fool around：闲逛；荒废时间

 

Don't fool around with another man's wife.

不要调戏他人之妻。

 

I'm going to go home, relax, spend some time with my family, catch up with old friends, and fool around with my boyfriend.

我要回家放松一下，花时间和家人团聚，见见老朋友，然后去男友那儿混日子。

 

They always fool around when the boss is not in the office.

老板不在办公室的时候，他们总是到处闲荡。

 

I am mean to be work on Sunday, but I just fool around all day.

星期日我本应工作的，但却闲混了一整天。

 

3.out of one's hand：无能为力，无可奈何

 

I am sorry that it is out of my hand. 

非常抱歉这件事我无能无力。

 

4.give sb a good talking-to责备，教训某人一顿

 

I got mad and gave him a good talking-to.

我实在气不过, 狠狠地说了他一顿。

 

That child needs a good talking-to. 

那孩子得说他一顿。

 

5.insist on坚持

 

I insist on your taking immediate action to put this right.

我坚决要求你立刻采取行动把事情处理好。

 

I must insist on your giving me a straight forward answer.

我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。