VOA流行美語 Unit 54: PAIN IN THE NECK
VOA流行美語 Unit 54: PAIN IN THE NECK, HAVE Had IT
pain in the neck
to have had it
今天Michael會教李華兩個常用語：pain in the neck和to have had it。
M:
Hello? I'm sorry. I'm not interested. No. No thank you. Look, I said I am not interested! (sound of phone hanging up)
L: Michael，是誰打來的電話，讓你這麼生氣啊？
M: That was someone who wanted to sell me a magazine subscription over the phone. Those people are such a pain in the neck!
L: 嗯，我也不喜歡別人在電話裏跟我推銷東西。可是你叫他們什麼？A pain in the neck？
M: That's right. Pain. A pain in the neck is something that is just very very annoying.
L: 噢，我明白了,"a pain in the neck"就是指討厭到了極點。
M: Exactly. I can't stand telemarketers. When I get home and finally sit down, they always call. What a pain!
L: 那是真的很討厭。哎,"a pain in the neck"是不是隻能形容人呢？
M: Not always. Things or situations can be a "pain in the neck".
L: 噢, 所以，"a pain in the neck"還可以拿來指某樣東西，或者是某種處境。那我可不可以說"It is such a pain in the neck when the electricity goes out"?
M: You've got it! And it really was a pain in the neck, too! I couldn't do anything last week when we had the blackout. I couldn't cook, couldn't watch TV......
L: 哎喲，不能看電視算得上什麼"pain in the neck"。那天我開車回家，馬路上連紅綠燈都壞了，那才叫不方便呢。
M: Yeah, well that's all over now. Oh man! It's my neighbor again! He always plays his drums in the evening. It's such a pain in the neck.
L: 原來是你的鄰居，他又在練習打鼓啊。唉，我也有個討厭的鄰居，她那隻狗總是叫個不停，有時候晚上睡着了又給那狗吵醒了。真是個"pain in the neck"。
M: Yeah, well if it's that bad, why don't you ask your neighbor to do something about it.
L: 有啊。可是她不但不改，還和我們耍態度呢。這個人啊，也是個"pain in the neck"。
M: I guess the only thing worse than telemarketers are noisy neighbors.
******
M: I have had it! That guy has got to stop doing this.....I've got to call him.
L: 等等，Michael，你說"I have had it"，那是什麼意思啊？
M: It means that I am so annoyed by something that I cannot stand it any longer.
L: 噢,"I have had it"就是你再也無法忍受了，是不是？
M: That's right. When we say "I have had it," we just mean that we have been dealing with the problem for a long time, and can't stand it any longer.
L: 哎，Michael，這次讓我來接。(Speaking to phone in English) Hello? No, sorry, I'm not interested. No, I'm not the lady of the house. Listen, we've had it with you telemarketers! Leave us alone! (hangs up loudly)
M: Wow, looks like you learned this phrase quickly. Don't you think you were a bit rude with them?
L: 什麼？你說我粗魯？哎呀，我真是受不了你。你這個人啊，就是沒有魄力，什麼事也做不成。你討厭誰就直接告訴他嘛。還有啊，爲什麼你不敢理直氣壯告訴你的鄰居他打鼓的聲音太吵了。光坐在那兒抱怨有什麼用嗎？
M: Alright then, I've really had it with my neighbor. I'm going to do something about it this time.
L: (Mocking tone of voice) 喲，Michael，這回來真的啦。你要做什麼，打電話向你媽咪訴苦嗎？
M: I've had it with you too, Li Hua. You always laugh at me. You can be such a pain in the neck!
L: 哎呀，Michael，對不起嘛。我不是故意要氣你的啦！不過你說的也沒錯，有的時候我還真的是"pain in the neck"。
M: . You're not really a pain in the neck. The noise is just making me crazy. I'm going to call that guy and tell him to stop.
今天李華學的兩個常用語都和人的情緒有關，pain in the neck是討厭到了極點，to have had it是再也無法忍受下去了。
