英语口语练习小对话 第868期:灭人之威风

第一， 迷你对话

A: The thing is that many people become green with envy at those who are making big money.

人们总是热别嫉妒那些很有钱的人。

B: Even worse than that. Some people rack their brains and try every means to burn them down., by hook or by crook.

更糟糕的是有的人还不折手段去整垮他们。

A : Jealousy can be a fatal thing. That has ruined many people who were being greatly envied.

妒忌是致命的弱点，它毁掉了许多被人羡慕的东西。

第二， 地道表达

burn someone down

1. 解词释义

Burn down的原意是“火力减弱，渐渐烧尽”，后来引申指让某人蒙羞或者是灭灭（某人的威风从而不让他那么嚣张。其英文解释为：为to humiliate someone。

2. 拓展例句

e.g. He had never read the article in the first place but couldn't pass up the chance to burn her down.

他根本没看那篇通讯，不过他不愿放弃这个扫她面子的机会。

e.g. He is so arrogant that I have to burn him down.

他很傲慢，我要灭一灭他的威风啦。

e.g. They say he intended to burn her down in a triumphant procession on the streets of Rome.

他们说他打算在罗马的街头的胜利凯旋中来灭她威风。

e.g. He was boasting as usual about his prowess on the tennis court, but Pam soon burn him down by beating him effortlessly in straight sets.

他总吹嘘自己在网球场上的杰出技术，可是帕姆毫不费力地连续数局败他，让他马上威风扫地。

第三，视野拓展

burn down ：焚毁；（使）烧成平地

e.g. The time had come to burn down the landlord's mansion.

放火烧掉地主庄园的时候到了。

e.g. Anarchists burnt down a restaurant.

无政府主义者把一家饭店烧成平地。

第三， 词海拾贝

green with envy：妒忌

e.g. I was absolutely green (with envy) when I saw his splendid new car.

我看到他那辆漂亮的新汽车就非常眼红。

e.g. Miss Lee was green with envy on her friend's promotion.

李小姐对她朋友的升迁感到羡慕。

e.g. Don't be green with envy. He deserves the prize since he has spent a whole mouth on that paper.

别那么眼红了。他花了整整一个月的时间才写出那篇论文，他该拿这个奖。

e.g. We do not envy with green eyes at those millionaires who make money honestly.

我们对那些通过诚实劳动挣钱的百万富翁绝不眼红。

make big money：赚大钱

e.g. These peddlers can't make big money, for the prices of their goods are often cut to bones.

这些小贩们赚不到什么大钱，人们在买他们的东西时常常把价格压到了最低点。

e.g. Various criminals like smugglers, drug dealers and all sorts of impostors make big money illegally.

形形色色的犯罪分子，如走私犯、贩毒分子以及各种各样的诈骗犯非法赚取了大笔钱财。

e.g. When I get a chance to make big money, I’ll cut you in.

我要是有赚大钱的机会，一定也让你参加。

e.g. The two men had brave schemes to make big money quickly but they never came to anything.

那两个人雄心勃勃地要马上赚大钱，但是一个子也没赚到。

rack one’s brain：绞尽脑汁

e.g. Bob racked his brains trying to remember where he left the book.

鲍勃绞尽脑汁试图回忆起书丢在何处。

e.g. I'm racking my brains to find a way to keep head above water.

我绞尽脑汁想法不欠债。

e.g. Though she racked her brains, she could not come at his answer.

她绞尽脑汁，却仍然听不懂他的回答。

e.g. I know we'd have to rack our brains to get it done in reasonable time.

我知道我们必须绞尽脑汁以便在合理的时间内完成这件工作。

by hook or by crook：不择手段地，千方百计地，想尽一切办法地

e.g. I'll get the work finished this week by hook or by crook.

我会想方设法在本周完成这项工作。

e.g. I'll solve this problem by hook or by crook– even if I have to stay up all night or ask all my friends for their help.

我无论如何要解决这个问题，即便我得通宵不睡觉或者是向朋友求助。

第四，语法点拨

That has ruined many people who were being greatly envied.

要点解析：这是一个含有定语从句的复合句。主句是That has ruined many people，从句是who were being greatly envied。先行词是people，表示人，它在从句中充当主语，所以引导词用who，也可以用that。
此外，从句中使用了被动语态：were being envied.