学习“Rub Elbows”及其他“Rub”表达
📖 逐句对照翻译
And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
现在是VOA学英语的《词汇掌故》节目。
Today we are talking about the term “rub.”
今天我们讨论的是“rub”这个词。
While this three-letter word is small, it should not be seen as unimportant.
虽然这个三字母单词很小，但不应被视为不重要。
In fact, "rub" carries a lot of meaning and can be used in many different situations.
事实上，“rub”这个词含义丰富，可以用于许多不同的情境。
For starters, "rub" is a noun.
首先，“rub”是个名词。
One way it is used this way is in cooking.
它这样使用的一种方式是在烹饪中。
A rub is a collection of dry seasonings that can be added to meat, tofu or vegetables before cooking.
涂抹料是一组干性调味料，可在烹饪前添加到肉、豆腐或蔬菜上。
"Rub" can also mean something problematic.
“Rub”也可以指棘手的问题。
If I ask, "What’s the rub?"
如果我问：“有什么难处？”
I am asking “What’s the problem?” (This expression is very informal.)
我问的是“怎么了？”（这个表达非常不正式。）
“Rub” is also a verb.
“Rub”也是一个动词。
For example, I might rub my head if I have a headache.
例如，如果我头痛，我可能会揉揉我的头。
Or I may rub my shoulder if it hurts.
或者如果肩膀疼，我可能会揉一揉。
And if something really hurts, I might rub in some medicine to help reduce the pain.
如果真的很疼，我可能会擦点药来帮助减轻疼痛。
But to rub something in also has another meaning – an idiomatic one.
但“rub something in”还有另一个含义——一个习语性的含义。
If you rub something in, you keep reminding someone of something unpleasant.
如果你反复提起某事，你就是在不断提醒某人一些不愉快的事情。
This is a very common expression.
这是一个非常常见的表达。
So, let’s hear it used in a conversation.
那我们来听听它在对话中的用法。
A: Hey, I had fun playing basketball yesterday.
嘿，我昨天打篮球玩得很开心。
Your team almost won.
你们队差点就赢了。
Almost.
差不多了。
B: It was fun.
很有趣。
I got a great workout.
我锻炼得很尽兴。
A: What was the score again?
比分是多少来着？
B: Okay, okay.
好吧，好吧。
Stop rubbing it in!
别再提了，别戳人痛处了！
Your team beat mine by … a lot!
你的队伍赢了我的队伍……赢了很多！
Rubbing something in is similar to rubbing someone’s nose in something.
把某物揉搓进去和把某人的鼻子按在某物上类似。
In the example we just heard, one man rubs his friend’s nose in a loss at a basketball game.
在刚才听到的例子中，一个男人在篮球比赛中输给了朋友，朋友便揭他的短。
When we rub someone's nose in something, we remind them that they have failed or got something wrong.
当我们揭某人的伤疤时，是在提醒他们曾经失败或做错了事。
As a verb, “rub” is used in many other expressions.
作为动词，“rub”还用于许多其他表达中。
If you rub someone the wrong way, you cause that person to be angry or annoyed.
如果你惹恼了某人，你就会使那个人生气或烦恼。
It means you have irritated them, usually for something in your personality or behavior.
这意味着你惹恼了他们，通常是因为你的性格或行为方面的某些原因。
You do not have to do anything specific to rub someone the wrong way.
你不必刻意做什么就能惹人反感。
For example, the president of the company rubbed some of his employees the wrong way with his direct way of speaking.
例如，公司总裁直率的说话方式冒犯了一些员工。
Another expression is to rub elbows with someone.
另一种说法是与某人擦肩而过。
We use this expression to describe being at the same event as someone or simply being around them.
我们用这个表达来描述与某人参加同一活动或仅仅是在他们身边。
But we don’t generally use it for interactions with our close friends.
但我们通常不会在亲密朋友的交流中使用它。
Often, the people we rub elbows with are famous, important, or influential.
我们经常接触的人往往是名人、重要人物或有影响力的人。
For example, I rubbed elbows with some famous people at the mayor’s birthday celebration.
例如，我在市长的生日庆典上和一些名人有过接触。
Another way to use the verb “rub” is in the expression to rub salt in the wound.
动词“rub”的另一种用法是在“to rub salt in the wound”这个表达中。
This means you make a bad situation worse for someone else.
这意味着你让别人的糟糕处境雪上加霜。
Let’s say you know someone who loses their job.
假设你认识一个人，他失去了工作。
When they tell you that news, you remind them that they still owe you money.
当他们告诉你那个消息时，你提醒他们仍然欠你钱。
You have just rubbed salt in the wound.
你这是在伤口上撒盐。
Ouch!
哎哟！
This is similar to kicking someone when they are down.
这就像是在别人跌倒时再踩上一脚。
Another use of the word “rub” is in the phrasal verb rub together.
“rub”这个词的另一种用法是在短语动词rub together中。
We use this with other words to say that we lack something.
我们把它与其他词连用，表示我们缺少某物。
For example, if I don’t have two brain cells to rub together, I can’t think straight.
比如说，如果我脑子笨得连两个脑细胞都凑不到一块儿，我就没法清醒地思考。
I'm confused.
我很困惑。
Or, if you don’t have two dimes to rub together, you have no money.
或者，如果你穷得叮当响，那就是说你没有钱。
You are broke!
你破产了！
(You could also say pennies or quarters -- as long as they are coins.)
你也可以说便士或25美分硬币——只要是硬币就行。
Our last expression is to rub something out.
我们要讲的最后一个表达是“把某物擦掉”。
That means you get rid of it.
这意味着你要摆脱它。
And sometimes we use it in a rather violent situation.
有时我们也会在相当暴力的情境中使用它。
If a bad person rubs someone out, they do away with them.
如果坏人把某人做掉，就是把他们除掉。
In other words, they actually kill them!
换句话说，它们实际上会杀死它们！
And that’s all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories!
我们这期的《词汇与故事》节目时间就到这里了！
Until next time … I’m Anna Matteo.
下次见……我是安娜·马泰奥。
Anna Matteo wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English.
安娜·马特奥为VOA英语学习频道编写了这节课程。
