英語早間課堂:A Hard Nut to Crack
Today I would like to talk to you about a person to whom isn't easily to make advances. What's it ? Let listen to a simple situational dialogue and find it . A : Do you like your new manager?
B : No, he's a hard nut to crack. A : Why?
B : He's too strict with us.
【答疑解惑】
It is " a hard nut to crack ". In this phrase, hard是艱難的意思，nut是堅(jiān)果的意思，crack是壓碎，使分裂的意思。A hard nut to crack 是指很難掰開的堅(jiān)果。However , in this dialogue, the speaker makes use of figure of speech. It refers to the manager who isn't amiable so that his underlings don't like him and be kind of afraid of him. 在這個(gè)對(duì)話中，說話者采用了一種比喻的修辭方式來說他的經(jīng)理不是那么和藹可親，對(duì)他有幾分畏懼之感。Yeah , we can see that how we should bear ourselves as a leader. It is really hard to be a pleased leader. I have an intimate knowledge of it.
【視野拓展】
Let's look at a sentence: Many students said the Reading Comprehension was a hard nut to crack. 許多學(xué)生都說考試的閱讀部分真夠難的。In this sentence, it refers to " a difficult examination question in study ". 在這句中，指的是(在學(xué)習(xí)上的) 難題。Another sentence is : He is too optimistic about his ability to solve the problem - it is a hard nut to crack. 他太自信自己處理這個(gè)問題的能力了，這個(gè)問題可是個(gè)啃骨頭的問題。In this sentence, a hard nut to crack refers to something that is hard to handle. 這句話中是指 ：難以應(yīng)付，對(duì)付，處理的事情，棘手的事情。Let's look at a dialogue:A : I don't understand Tim. He never smiles and laughs. B : I know! He's a hard nut to crack. A : 我真是不理解Tim，他這人從來不笑。B : 我知道。他是個(gè)難以被人了解的人。In this sentence, it means a person who is not easily to be learnt about for a particular reason.
【總結(jié)】
All right , we've learned so much that it put me under the table. Let's have a summary. A hard nut to crack 是個(gè)名詞性短語，to crack 動(dòng)詞不定式 作定語修飾前面的名詞 nut. 譯為難以掰開的堅(jiān)果，通常人們用之比喻為： (學(xué)習(xí)中的)難題;(生活工作中的)棘手的事情，難以對(duì)付、處理、應(yīng)付的事情;(生活工作中的)難以親近而被別人了解的人;(生活工作中的)那已對(duì)付的人。
【對(duì)話學(xué)習(xí)】
As usual , let's come to the dialogue study. Please write down the key phrases while listening to the recording . A : Do you like your new manager?
B : No, he's a hard nut to crack. A : Why?
B : He's too strict with us. I think the following phrases should be kept by heart。
【短語積累】
1 a new manager 新上任的經(jīng)理2 a hard nut to crack 學(xué)習(xí)中的難題;棘手的事情，難以對(duì)付、處理、應(yīng)付的事情;難以親近而被別人了解的人;難以對(duì)付的人3 be strict with somebody 對(duì)某人嚴(yán)厲要求【咬文嚼字】
There's two sentences in this dialogue, being worth polishing it. 1 He's a hard nut to crack. 【翻譯】：他是個(gè)很那啃的骨頭。
【要點(diǎn)】：to crack 是動(dòng)詞不定時(shí)短語，作定語修飾nut. 2 He's too strict with us . 【翻譯】他對(duì)我們要求太嚴(yán)厲了。
【要點(diǎn)】"To be strict with" is a set phrase . 意思是對(duì)某人嚴(yán)厲要求，如果說是在哪方面嚴(yán)厲要求，用介詞 with ，那么說在哪方面嚴(yán)厲要求某人就是：be strict with somebody in something . For example: When we say we should be strict in running the army, we mean first of all being strict with the leading bodies and senior cadres.我們說治軍要嚴(yán),首先對(duì)領(lǐng)導(dǎo)班子要嚴(yán),對(duì)高級(jí)干部要嚴(yán)。 恩， a saying goes that when those that is high up don't set a good example , the subordinates can not be expected to behave well. 常言道：上梁不正下梁歪。
【對(duì)話翻譯】
The translation of the whole dialogue is :
A : 你喜歡你們新上任的經(jīng)理嗎?
B : 不喜歡，他是不好對(duì)付的人。
A : 怎講?
B : 他對(duì)我們要求太嚴(yán)厲了。
【溫故知新】
【翻譯練習(xí)】
1 Please translate the following senteces.
家家有一本難念的經(jīng)。
據(jù)說她是一個(gè)難馴服的女人。
我從來就不太了解比爾，他不太愛說話，我總覺得他這個(gè)人很難對(duì)付。
考試的第三道題真是夠難的。
她這個(gè)人不好說話，我想她不會(huì)答應(yīng)我們的。
期末考試不好對(duì)付。
我最終會(huì)從他那里獲得情報(bào)的，不過他是個(gè)難以對(duì)付的人，因而時(shí)間可能要很長(zhǎng)。
就是因?yàn)樘淮蠊苣銈?我才來管你們老師對(duì)他的學(xué)生非常嚴(yán)格。
參考譯文： Each has his own hard nut to crack.
They say that she is a hard nut to crack.
I never know Bill very well.He was not very communicative and always seemed to me a hard nut to crack.
The third question in the examination is a hard nut to crack.
She is a hard nut to crack;I don't think she will give us permission.
The final exam was a hard nut to crack.
I'll get the information from him eventually but he's a hard nut to crack and it may take a long time.
The teacher is very strict with his students.
It's because she's not strict enough with you that I have to be so strict【空中聽力】
請(qǐng)從錄音中找出原聲對(duì)話，然后進(jìn)行聽寫。
A : Do you like your new manager?
B : No, he's a hard nut to crack. A : Why?
B : He's too strict with us.
【寫作話題】
1 How do you think of a strict manager in a firm. 對(duì)于公司嚴(yán)格的經(jīng)歷，你是如何看待的。
2 If you are a manager in a firm , how do you get along with your stuff.
如果你是一個(gè)公司經(jīng)理，你如何與你的職員相處好。
【口譯練習(xí)】
Please translate the following dialogue into Chinese orally.
A : 你喜歡你們新上任的經(jīng)理嗎?
B : 不喜歡，他是不好對(duì)付的人。
A : 怎講?
B : 他對(duì)我們要求太嚴(yán)厲了。
