美國習(xí)慣用語：851 paint oneself into a corner

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　　我表姐最近遇到了一件很為難的事。她準(zhǔn)備兩個(gè)月后結(jié)婚，并答應(yīng)讓自己最要好的朋友做伴娘，可是她忘了，其實(shí)她早就把伴娘的角色許給了自己的親妹妹。

　　我真不知道她要如何才能脫身。用我們今天要學(xué)的習(xí)慣用語來形容她的處境恰如其分，那就是：paint oneself into a corner.

　　在英語里，paint是畫的意思，corner是角落。To paint oneself into a corner, 意思是讓自己陷入困境。我表姐的情況一個(gè)很好的例子，因?yàn)樗寻槟锏闹匾蝿?wù)許給了兩個(gè)人, She painted herself into a corner. 別以為自己為難自己的人只有她一個(gè)。讓我們一起來聽聽下面這個(gè)人的故事。

　　例句-1：To make extra money, I took a part-time job. But then one of my co-workers at my full-time job quit and I volunteered to do some of his work. Now I've really painted myself into a corner. I've taken on too much. It's impossible for me to get everything done!

　　這個(gè)人說：為了多賺點(diǎn)錢， 我找了份兼職工作。后來我的一個(gè)同事辭職，我主動(dòng)提出分擔(dān)他留下來的一部分工作，如今我是自作自受，攬了太多的工作，簡直是分身乏術(shù)。

　　我也經(jīng)常干這種傻事。比如說，最近公司有個(gè)大項(xiàng)目，時(shí)間很緊，我主動(dòng)承擔(dān)了下來，誰知負(fù)責(zé)該項(xiàng)目的另外一位同事突然生病，我只好周末加班，一個(gè)人干兩個(gè)人的活。I painted myself into a corner.

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　　我上周末去看電影，是去年夏天一部大片的續(xù)集。電影里的主人公本來已經(jīng)死了，可以因?yàn)橛捌苜u座，所以制片人決定讓主人公起死回生。讓我們一起聽聽下面這個(gè)娛樂記者的報(bào)道。

　　例句-2：How can there be a movie sequel when the main character was killed off? Writers are used to coming up with solutions to impossible situations. They're not about to paint themselves into a corner. So they'll find ways to miraculously save the hero or explain that his death was only a dream!

　　這個(gè)記者說：主人公死了還能拍續(xù)集?不論是多么不可能的事情，編劇們都能找到出路。他們絕不會(huì)讓自己陷在里面拔不出來。他們會(huì)神奇地找到解救主人公的辦法，或是說他的死其實(shí)是一場惡夢。

　　讓自己陷入困境是, paint oneself into a corner. 如果是別人讓你陷入困境該怎么說呢?那就是要用到動(dòng)詞back了，那就是，back someone into a corner. 我朋友的公司最近緊縮開支，通知他，要么同意減少工資，要么就走人。They backed him into a corner. 再比如，我們社區(qū)委員會(huì)主任讓我組織節(jié)日游行，但是給我的經(jīng)費(fèi)又少得可憐。I feel like she is backing me into a corner。