迷你對話學地道口語第868期:滅人之威風
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第一， 迷你對話
A: The thing is that many people become green with envy at those who are making big money.
人們總是熱別嫉妒那些很有錢的人。
B: Even worse than that. Some people rack their brains and try every means to burn them down., by hook or by crook.
更糟糕的是有的人還不折手段去整垮他們。
A : Jealousy can be a fatal thing. That has ruined many people who were being greatly envied.
妒忌是致命的弱點，它毀掉了許多被人羨慕的東西。
第二， 地道表達
burn someone down
1. 解詞釋義
Burn down的原意是“火力減弱，漸漸燒盡”，後來引申指讓某人蒙羞或者是滅滅（某人的威風從而不讓他那麼囂張。其英文解釋爲：爲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.
他根本沒看那篇通訊，不過他不願放棄這個掃她面子的機會。
e.g. He is so arrogant that I have to burn him down.
他很傲慢，我要滅一滅他的威風啦。
e.g. They say he intended to burn her down in a triumphant procession on the streets of Rome.
他們說他打算在羅馬的街頭的勝利凱旋中來滅她威風。
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.
他總吹噓自己在網球場上的傑出技術，可是帕姆毫不費力地連續數局敗他，讓他馬上威風掃地。
第三，視野拓展
burn down ：焚燬；（使）燒成平地
e.g. The time had come to burn down the landlord's mansion.
放火燒掉地主莊園的時候到了。
e.g. Anarchists burnt down a restaurant.
無政府主義者把一家飯店燒成平地。
第三， 詞海拾貝
green with envy：妒忌
e.g. I was absolutely green (with envy) when I saw his splendid new car.
我看到他那輛漂亮的新汽車就非常眼紅。
e.g. Miss Lee was green with envy on her friend's promotion.
李小姐對她朋友的升遷感到羨慕。
e.g. Don't be green with envy. He deserves the prize since he has spent a whole mouth on that paper.
別那麼眼紅了。他花了整整一個月的時間才寫出那篇論文，他該拿這個獎。
e.g. We do not envy with green eyes at those millionaires who make money honestly.
我們對那些通過誠實勞動掙錢的百萬富翁絕不眼紅。
make big money：賺大錢
e.g. These peddlers can't make big money, for the prices of their goods are often cut to bones.
這些小販們賺不到什麼大錢，人們在買他們的東西時常常把價格壓到了最低點。
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、販毒分子以及各種各樣的詐騙犯非法賺取了大筆錢財。
e.g. When I get a chance to make big money, I’ll cut you in.
我要是有賺大錢的機會，一定也讓你參加。
e.g. The two men had brave schemes to make big money quickly but they never came to anything.
那兩個人雄心勃勃地要馬上賺大錢，但是一個子也沒賺到。
rack one’s brain：絞盡腦汁
e.g. Bob racked his brains trying to remember where he left the book.
鮑勃絞盡腦汁試圖回憶起書丟在何處。
e.g. I'm racking my brains to find a way to keep head above water.
我絞盡腦汁想法不欠債。
e.g. Though she racked her brains, she could not come at his answer.
她絞盡腦汁，卻仍然聽不懂他的回答。
e.g. I know we'd have to rack our brains to get it done in reasonable time.
我知道我們必須絞盡腦汁以便在合理的時間內完成這件工作。
by hook or by crook：不擇手段地，千方百計地，想盡一切辦法地
e.g. I'll get the work finished this week by hook or by crook.
我會想方設法在本週完成這項工作。
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.
我無論如何要解決這個問題，即便我得通宵不睡覺或者是向朋友求助。
第四，語法點撥
That has ruined many people who were being greatly envied.
要點解析：這是一個含有定語從句的複合句。主句是That has ruined many people，從句是who were being greatly envied。先行詞是people，表示人，它在從句中充當主語，所以引導詞用who，也可以用that。
此外，從句中使用了被動語態：were being envied.
