迷你对话：

A: I have puzzled my brain about how to teach the children.

教育孩子的事情真让我大伤脑经。

B: What is your problem?

你怎么啦？

A: My children can never be obedient even if I criticized them severely.

即使我严厉批评他们，他们也不听话。

B: You need not always do that. Why don’t you pat them on the back occasionally?

你不必总那么做，你何不偶尔也鼓励赞美他们一番呢？

地道表达：

pat on the back

解词释义：

pat做名词，意思是“轻拍”。此语源于人们对他人表示爱抚，赞赏或安慰时所作的动作。所以，a pat on the back意思为“赞扬”或“鼓励”。

语法用法：

它既可以做名词性短语，也可以做动词性短语。相关搭配有：pat sb on the back（给某人鼓励），give sb. a pat on the back（给某人鼓励），get a pat on the back（得到鼓励），deserve a pat on the back（应该得到赞赏或鼓励）等。

支持范例：

The teacher gave her a pat on the back after she did well in the exam.

她考得不错，老师表扬了她。

She receives a pat on the back for doing a good job.

她因表现良好而受赞美。

She deserves a pat on the back for all the hard work she's done.

她辛勤努力值得赞扬。

Pat yourself on the back when you succeed at something.

成功的时候要表扬自己。

词海拾贝：

1. puzzle one’s brains：绞尽脑汁（以求解决某一问题）

范例：I'm puzzling my brains to find a way to keep head above water.

我绞尽脑汁想法不欠债。

He puzzled his brains to find the answer.

他绞尽脑汁以寻求答案。

Bob puzzled his brains, trying to remember where he left the book.

鲍勃绞尽脑汁试图回忆起书丢在何处。

And though she puzzled her brains, she could not come at his answer.

她绞尽脑汁，却仍然听不懂他的回答。

2. even if：即使，即便

范例：I wouldn't lose courage even if I should fail ten times.

即使要失败十次, 我也绝不灰心。

You must keep to the rules even if you think they're unfair.

尽管你认为这些规则不公正，但也得遵守。

Don't let down even if the going is good.

即便在顺利的情况下也不要松劲。

You shouldn't put on airs even if you were in charge.

即便你当头头,也不该摆架子。