【英语早间课堂】A Hard Nut to Crack

 【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 1 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 2 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 3 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 4 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 5 . 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 6 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.
They say that she is a hard nut to crack.
I never know Bill very well.He was not very communicative and always seemed to me a hard nut to crack.
The third question in the examination is a hard nut to crack.
She is a hard nut to crack;I don't think she will give us permission.
The final exam was a hard nut to crack.
I'll get the information from him eventually but he's a hard nut to crack and it may take a long time.
The teacher is very strict with his students.
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 7.
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。
 
转自可可英语