每日英语第361期：pain in the neck

今天我们要讲的这个词：pain in the neck，其实更常见的说法是：pain in the ass. 意思一样，只不过pain in the neck是后者的委婉说法。意思是“很讨厌的人或事”。

先来看英文解释：

a pain in the neck is someone or something that is very annoying.

口语中其实最常用的说法是pain in the ass，但由于ass（屁股）不文雅，所以有几个委婉的说法。就像shoot是shit的委婉语一样，这种现象在英语中很常见。

Pain in the ass的委婉语在英国英语和美国英语中不太一样。

英国英语一般说pain in the bum. 美国英语中一般说pain in the butt, 或pain in the neck. 这三种说法都对，意思一样，都是pain in the ass的委婉说法。

来看个例句吧，看什么人什么事才是pain in the ass/bum/butt/neck.

The customers love it, but the employees think the new system is a pain in the butt. 客人都喜欢这个新系统，但员工们觉得这系统很烦（很让人头大）。

We're having Mary over for dinner tomorrow night. I just hope her pain-in-the neck husband doesn't come along as well. 我们请了Mary今晚来吃饭，我只希望她那个烦人的老公别一起来。

My little sister is such a pain in the neck—she constantly goes in my bathroom and uses my expensive makeup. 我妹妹真烦人，她总是去我的浴室用我很贵的化妆品。

My boss is such a pain in the neck -- she likes bossing around and always makes me do unnecessary work without any appreciation. 我老板真TMD烦，总喜欢摆老板架子指使我干不必要的活，还从来不领情。

怎么样，学会用pain in the neck/bum/butt/ass了吗？根据上下文的具体情况，pain in the neck可以翻译成“让人头疼、头大”、“烦人”等。

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