我们大学同学正在准备聚会,往年都是在我家,但是今年我决定不主动提出在我家办了。说老实话,我是不想让大家觉得只要开派对,就一定要在我家。如果你也有类似困扰的话,今天我们要学的习惯用语就能派上用场了。Paint oneself into a corner. Paint是粉刷的意思,corner是墙角的意思。Paint oneself into a corner作为习惯用语,意思是让自己陷入困境。
现在你明白我为什么不想每年的同学会都在我家开了吧。下面这个例子里的人就缺少先见之明,让自己陷入了两难的境地。让我们听听他哥哥是怎么说的。
例句-1:When Roger asked his best buddy Tony to go into business with him, it sounded like a winning idea. But now that Roger's found out that Tony is incompetent, he feels there's little he can do without jeopardizing his long-term friendship. He's certainly painted himself into a corner
他说:罗杰邀请他最好的朋友托尼跟他一起开公司的时候,听起来确实是个好主意,但如今,他发现托尼对做生意一窍不通,但是他又不想破坏两个人多年的友谊,他真是给自己找了个大麻烦。
上高中的时候,学校的音乐老师是夫妇俩。他们本来以为一起工作会很和谐,但越来越发现,两个人每天待在一起其实是一件很糟糕的事情。They'd painted themselves into a corner. 没错,最后,为了摆脱这种困境,丈夫决定调到另外一所学校去。
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在美国,政治家参加选举,总会做出各种承诺,但有些承诺根本就是无法兑现的。我们来听听下面这个政治评论家是怎么说的。
例句-2:Several candidates up for re-election are vowing never to raise taxes or cut services. So what do they think they're going to do as the economy gets worse? They're painting themselves into a corner because they'll have no other choice but to go back on their campaign promises.
他说: 参加竞选连任的好几位候选人都保证说,绝对不会提高税率,也不会削减政府的服务。那经济不好的时候该怎么办呢?他们这样做会断了自己的后路,因为到那个时候,他们除了违背竞选诺言以外,没有其他的选择。
美国前总统老布什就曾经保证不会提高税率,但是最后没办法,只能增税,影响了他竞选连任。另外一位前总统克林顿也是一样,他在证词中说自己和前白宫实习生莱温斯基没有不恰当的关系,最后被证明是不实之词。Both men painted themselves into a corner.
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788 Paint oneself into a corner
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