作者:城市网 来源:城市网学院 更新日期：2013-1-16
Larry和他妹妹吵架，来找李华诉苦。他们会提到两个常用语：talk to a brick wall和get the picture.
Larry: （Sounding frustrated） Hey, Lihua.
LH: Larry，你怎么不高兴啊？
Larry: I just got off the phone with my sister. She is about to graduate from high school and she is not serious about applying to college. No matter what I say, she just won't take my advice. （Sigh）。 Sometimes talking to her is like talking to a brick wall.
LH: 哦。你妹妹高中毕业不想考大学，不论你怎么劝她，她就是不听。对了，你刚才说talking to a brick wall，你干嘛要对着砖墙说话呢？
Larry: Not literally talk to a brick wall. I'm saying talking to my sister is like talking to a brick wall. A brick wall doesn't listen, doesn't respond and doesn't care. And that's what it's like to talk to my sister about college.
LH: 我明白了！Talk to a brick wall就是对牛弹琴。你跟你妹妹苦口婆心说了半天，可她根本连一句话也听不进去。你呀，就好像对着一面墙说话一样。
Larry: Right.
LH: Larry，你别太担心。你说了那么半天，我想多多少少还是会有点用的。
Larry: I suppose you're right. I guess she's just at that age where she doesn't like to hear advice from other people. My parents have lately been feeling the same way when they speak to her, too.
LH: 其实也不光是青春期的孩子才这么固执，有时候我跟我妈说话，也觉得I'm talking to a brick wall！她怎么都听不进我的话！
Larry: Your mother? But she's such a sweet lady.
LH: Larry, 你可不知道！每次我跟她说我毕业后要留在美国找工作，她都一万个不行。我无论说什么，她非要我回国不可，我感觉自己真像talking to a brick wall一样！
Larry: Oh, that does sound frustrating. So what are you going to do?
LH: 我？我才不管她说什么。我的人生我作主！
Larry: （Laughter） I bet your mother feels like she's talking to a brick wall when she speaks with you - the same way you feel about speaking with her!
LH: Larry，你别笑了。你想想，妈妈不理解我，不支持我，我有多难受！
Larry: Yea, I get the picture.
LH: You got a picture? 什么照片啊，给我看看。
Larry: Not a picture - the picture. To say that you get the picture means that you understand something.
LH: Oh, I get the picture，就是说我明白。
Larry: Right. You can imagine that knowing about something creates a picture in your mind.
LH: 对，get the picture就好像看到了别人头脑中所想的画面，也就是了解了别人的想法。
Larry: Sometimes it's hard for people to understand exactly why other people want what they want, and it may seem talking to them is like talking to a brick wall. But you have to have patience - hopefully someday your mother will get the picture.
LH: 对，要想让别人了解自己的想法，有时得多花点时间和耐心。我想，你妹妹早晚也能了解你的想法。She will get the picture!
Larry: You don't understand, Lihua. If my sister doesn't get the picture now, it might be too late! What if she doesn't get into a good college?
LH: 你别光想你妹了，想想我吧。我妈非让我一毕业就回国，我怎么办？我必须得找个能一直留在美国的原因，说服我妈。这个，你可以帮我，You get the picture, Larry?
Larry: （Larry thought Lihua wanted to get married. gulps） Umm, I think so.
LH: 你可以帮我找工作啊！
Larry: OH! （happily） Right! I get the picture now. I will certainly try my hardest to find you a great job.
LH: Larry，你真好，总能猜透我的心思！
Larry: Well, I almost got the wrong picture a second ago.
LH: 啊？你差点猜错了？你以为我在说什么？难道是说让我嫁给你？！你想得倒美！
Larry: （Nervous）， Ah, Lihua, Let's not worry about that. Let me think how we can make your mother happy. She's always nice to me. Maybe if I talk to her, it wouldn't be like talking to a brick wall.
LH: 你愿意的话就去试试看，不过我妈耳朵根子硬得很呢！ 在重要的节日或者纪念日的时候，我们常会花钱出去大吃一顿或者买些东西来庆祝。在英语中，这种做法可以用“push the boat out”来表示。
“Push the boat out”意思就是“慷慨而奢侈地花费”，不过它跟“paint the town red”的意思不同，后者意为“狂欢、胡闹”；而前者表示“虽然出去玩乐，但并不是以一种不负责任的方式”，强调“花费虽然大，但是也是必要的”。
例如：
Jack has just passed his exams and wants to push the boat out by inviting us all out for a celebratory dinner.
我听说杰克通过了考试，他今天打算请我们出去大吃一顿来庆祝。
Sometimes you have to push the boat out and splurge on a new set of clothes.
有的时候你得挥霍一回，买些新衣服来犒劳一下自己。
下面我们再来讲一些人们普遍使用的、跟船相关的表达。比如说错失良机可以说“miss the boat”，做事不留后路是“burn your boat”。如果你真的没给自己留什么后路，你也不用太沮丧，世界上总有很多人和你in the same boat（处境相同），你还是可以从他们那里获得一些同情和帮助。
有的人喜欢安稳的生活，不愿意rock the boat（破坏良好的现状），但这也意味着他们不会有什么机会。和这个短语对应的有个短语叫push the envelope，意为“挑战极限”，这个词组往往被用来谈论科技进步，表示“人或机构等很有创新力，想尽力超越现有的边界”。
例如：
My #pany is really pushing the envelope in terms of design. We are working on a new type of interactive #puter game that will revolutionise the market.
在设计方面，我们公司一直都在挑战极限。目前我们正在开发一款新的人机交互型电脑游戏，它将彻底改变现在的电子游戏市场。
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