美语故事

I've found the length of my feet, so I'd better nip it in the bud!
我知道自己有个坏毛病，所以要趁早改掉这个坏毛病！
【Andrew's Note】
To nip something in the bud is to stop it just as it is starting. The phrase comes, of course, from gardening, where one often has to remove a few buds so that a plant will produce more beautiful flowers.
"To nip something in the bud" 指某事刚刚开始就要阻止它2yXxRz&*qEkphC。当然，这个短语与园艺有关，因为人们常常要剪掉多余的花蕾，这样整株植物就可以开出更美丽的花朵儿XXwQZMb]*G%5H8+7。
[1] I hold Marston in high esteem. To tell you the truth, I learn a lot from our daily conversations. He helps me not merely in English but also in something more important that I will never forget until I go to meet Karl Marx.
[1] 我非常敬重马斯顿%Q9-;7g&f;,+xV5A48w。说实说，我从我们之间的日常对话中学到了不少的东西e!@WGV14[Bmo5cFF@。他不仅在英语方面帮我，而且还在其他更重要的方面帮助我，去见马克思之前，我将永远也不会忘记这些_XO;uXyim^BogU。
[2] Marston invited me for dinner only a few days after he came to our college. We talked about a world of things.
[2] 马斯顿来我们学院才几天就请我共进晚餐kdcOQUUm8D~|RgO%。我们真是无话不谈N**53f9!u~EUkG03。
[3] We could enter into smooth conversations and communicate with each other with ease. However, my speech left something to be desired, which drew Marston's attention. God knows why I peppered my conversations with so many "perhaps". I must have gone so far that he decided to put me right.
[3] 我们谈话顺畅，交流轻松愉快+[VbMfnJ3t^p7)vpq~%。然而，我一说话总是会留下一点点缺憾, 这引起了马斯顿的关注6BK]|q1Q7c0aG4。谁知道怎么搞的，那天我在谈话中夹杂着那样多的“或许（可能）”之类的词语pbW6UV~x_,=6D5+*4vRw。我一定是用得太多了，所以他决定帮我纠正过来[@,uNl4OjAP7.7|Gas。
[4] So in the middle of the dinner, he toasted to me again, "To our friendship forever! I can't find it in my heart to find fault with you today. But I'd like to point out your Achilles' heel, bro. You use 'perhaps' more than I have heard in the past ten years. It strikes me that you show your uncertainty and lack of confidence all along. So I hope you can delete that word from your vocabulary. I am sure you can understand what I mean here. OK, from today on, each time when I find you revert to （回复；回到） that silly word again, I will give you a hint. I bet you can nip it in the bud, and the sooner, the better."
[4] 所以，在吃饭的中间，他再次向我祝酒：“ 祝我们之间的友谊万古长青！今天我不忍心要挑你的毛病=Vgz,XG^0B.。但是，兄弟，我得指出你的一个致命弱点k@uwuNe(vdb@g0U3。你用的“或许”比我在过去十年间所听到的还要多B+)o(|#7#y。你给我的印象总是不确定或缺少自信[)=]eVj5B(#e_a。所以，我希望你能从你的词汇里把这个词删除掉QrY7_^O=uYxQ4yGanC。我确信你理解我的用意b!QBd%szda4@!z7。好了，从现在起，每当我发现你再用那个词，我就给你暗示;VMoLH-J_I9_%i。我确信你能趁早改掉这个坏毛病，改得越快越好Hu8hPPGUVBs6J6x_^h8Q。”
[5] Ever since then, I almost have given up the word in my daily conversations. If I really want to show my uncertainty or doubts, I just avail myself of another word, i.e. "probably".
[5] 自那时起，我几乎在日常交流禁用这个词MhD!FiM@o.etKm&OY91m。真要表达不确定或疑虑的意思，我会用别的词，即"probably"4TPp(ic^lP。
[6] I was so fortunate in having a friend like Marston who could know me like he knows himself.
[6] 我非常幸运有像马斯顿这样的朋友，他知我如知己也！yt)(vI@X7v5X^o[KlDZ6。你自己定夺：质量还是垃圾？董先生，心急吃不了热豆腐+|;*8pY;=Oqf]F。”

指点迷津

1.find the length of one's feet:be aware of one's weakness or shortcomings 知道某人的短处或缺点
We've been friends for many years and sure I can easily find the length of his feet.
我们是多年的朋友，我很了解他的缺点PD|0njrOwR0yPPnmmkw。
2.nip sth. in the bud:把……扼杀在萌芽中；防患于未然
You seem to have started smoking now; I remind you that it is an extremely addictive habit, so the best thing for you to do is to nip it in the bud.
你现在好像开始在抽烟；我可要提醒你：抽烟可是个非常容易上瘾的恶习，所以你最好在刚开始的时候就把烟戒了OCug1x7^P&U8DK。 3.pepper:add flavor to 大量给予
The reporters peppered the spokesman with questions.
记者们向发言人连续发问8XxRqUtX]-H*vx@_slt。
4.find it in one's heart to do:意欲；忍心做（多用否定句）
If I wasn't obliged to, I couldn't find it in my heart to give offence to my loved ones.
要不是被迫无奈，我是不忍心去触怒我所爱的人的Cwz_9ddOfr&EM^%。
5.it strikes me that:it suddenly enters one's mind; occur to　闪入脑海；想到
1)The thought struck me from out of the blue.
我突然有了这想法wm;mG_jPb%)#k4e!。
2)It struck (occurred to) me that the girl was trying to flirt with the married man.
我突然想起来，那女孩试图和那个已婚男子调情#suJ)=z5~[CrWsLU)L。
6.know someone like/better than he knows himself:know someone very deeply 对某人知根知底
He can't fool me. I know him better than he knows himself.
他骗不了我I|@SMOr!c+u5H..etB。我了解他胜于他了解自己b(B#T^c14qt#。