【主题】
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是艰难的意思，nut是坚果的意思，crack是压碎，使分裂的意思。A hard nut to crack 是指很难掰开的坚果。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. 在这个对话中，说话者采用了一种比喻的修辞方式来说他的经理不是那么和蔼可亲，对他有几分畏惧之感。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.

【视野拓展】
Let's look at a sentence: Many students said the Reading Comprehension was a hard nut to crack. 许多学生都说考试的阅读部分真够难的。In this sentence, it refers to " a difficult examination question in study ". 在这句中，指的是(在学习上的) 难题。Another sentence is : He is too optimistic about his ability to solve the problem - it is a hard nut to crack. 他太自信自己处理这个问题的能力了，这个问题可是个啃骨头的问题。In this sentence, a hard nut to crack refers to something that is hard to handle. 这句话中是指 ：难以应付，对付，处理的事情，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，他这人从来不笑。B : 我知道。他是个难以被人了解的人。In this sentence, it means a person who is not easily to be learnt about for a particular reason.

【总结】
All right , we've learned so much that it put me under the table. Let's have a summary. A hard nut to crack 是个名词性短语，to crack 动词不定式 作定语修饰前面的名词 nut. 译为难以掰开的坚果，通常人们用之比喻为： （学习中的）难题；（生活工作中的）棘手的事情，难以对付、处理、应付的事情；（生活工作中的）难以亲近而被别人了解的人；（生活工作中的）那已对付的人。

【对话学习】
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。

【短语积累】
1 a new manager 新上任的经理
2 a hard nut to crack 学习中的难题；棘手的事情，难以对付、处理、应付的事情；难以亲近而被别人了解的人；难以对付的人
3 be strict with somebody 对某人严厉要求

【咬文嚼字】
There's two sentences in this dialogue, being worth polishing it.
1 He's a hard nut to crack.
【翻译】：他是个很那啃的骨头。
【要点】：to crack 是动词不定时短语，作定语修饰nut.
2 He's too strict with us .
【翻译】他对我们要求太严厉了。
【要点】"To be strict with" is a set phrase . 意思是对某人严厉要求，如果说是在哪方面严厉要求，用介词 with ，那么说在哪方面严厉要求某人就是：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.我们说治军要严,首先对领导班子要严,对高级干部要严。 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。

【对话翻译】
The translation of the whole dialogue is :
A : 你喜欢你们新上任的经理吗？
B : 不喜欢，他是不好对付的人。
A : 怎讲？
B : 他对我们要求太严厉了。

【温故知新】

【翻译练习】
1 Please translate the following senteces.

家家有一本难念的经。

据说她是一个难驯服的女人。

我从来就不太了解比尔，他不太爱说话，我总觉得他这个人很难对付。

考试的第三道题真是够难的。

她这个人不好说话，我想她不会答应我们的。

期末考试不好对付。

我最终会从他那里获得情报的，不过他是个难以对付的人，因而时间可能要很长。

就是因为太太不大管你们,我才来管你们

老师对他的学生非常严格。

参考译文：
Each has his own hard nut to crack.

It's because she's not strict enough with you that I have to be so strict

【空中听力】
请从录音中找出原声对话，然后进行听写。
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.

【写作话题】
1 How do you think of a strict manager in a firm.
对于公司严格的经历，你是如何看待的。
2 If you are a manager in a firm , how do you get along with your stuff.
如果你是一个公司经理，你如何与你的职员相处好。

【口译练习】
Please translate the following dialogue into Chinese orally.
A : 你喜欢你们新上任的经理吗？
B : 不喜欢，他是不好对付的人。
A : 怎讲？
B : 他对我们要求太严厉了。