口语课堂第51期:最后一击;大难临头

the last/finAl straw; the straw that breaks the camel's back:the last in a series of bad events, etc. that makes it impossible for you to accept a situation any longer 压垮骆驼的最后一根稻草;终于使人不堪忍受的最后一件事(或因素等)

I've had a terrible day, and this traffic is the last straw,I can't take any more.
我这一天已经够倒霉了,这样的堵车更是雪上加霜,我受不了了.

the writing is on the wall:used when you are describing a situation in which there are signs that something is going to have problems or that it is going to be a failure (看出)厄运临头的预兆,不祥之兆

It is amazing that not one of them saw the writing on the wall.
令人吃惊的是他们就没有一个人看出大难临头的预兆.
The writing is on the wall for the club unless they can find $20 000.
这家俱乐部就要大难临头了,除非他们能筹到2万美元.

***这个last straw我第一次接触是在大二的综英课上,清楚的记得是第一课里,说一个人去面试做老师什么的,遇到了一系列很恐怖的事情...最后发现真正对学校拥有实际管理权的居然是个女人...他很受不了,就说这个是the last straw...后来在听英语新闻的时候也经常遇到.

我又搜集了些资料,大家看看加深下印象.

"All these years I've tried to be a good wife, even though you're lazy, you drink too much and half of the time don't even have a steady job. But when I find out you are spending money on another woman, that's the last straw! I want you out of my house right now and I never want to see you again."

这些年来,尽管你很懒,喝酒过度,还经常没有固定的工作,但我一直尽力做一个贤惠的妻子.可是,当我发现你把钱化在另一个女人身上的时候,这就使我无法忍受了.你给我马上出去,我永远也不要再见到你了."

I put up with a lot from this guy. He borrowed my clothes, he borrowed my money, he borrowed my tennis racket. But when I caught him using my toothbrush that was the last straw, so I kicked him out!"

我对这个家伙够宽容的了.他借我的衣服穿,问我借钱,借用我的网球拍.可是,当我发现他用我的牙刷的时候,这就叫我无法忍受了.所以我把他赶了出去.

至于这个the writing is on the wall,本人印象很清楚,是看某档财经节目学来的,节目里说美国经济衰退之前迹象已经很明显了.

The writing on the wall常见于新闻报道或文学读本,指的是a sign or warning of impending disaster(迫在眉睫的凶兆、不祥之兆).其渊源确实和"占卜"挂钩,可追溯到《旧经·但以理书》. 《旧约》中记载:

古巴比伦国王Belshazar(伯沙撒)在宫殿里设宴纵饮时,忽然看到一个神秘的手指在王宫墙上写看不懂的文字,后来,国王叫到虏囚犹太预言家Daniel(但以理)才搞明白,墙上的字表示"大难临头".如预言所示,伯沙撒当夜被杀,新国王由玛代人大利乌继任.

正由于这个"身死国王"的典故,the finger on the wall(墙上的手指)或the writing on the wall(墙上的文字)常和动词see或read连用,用来形容"不祥之兆".

The official saw the writing on the wall and fled the country.

这个官员预感到自己将有大难,立即逃到了国外.