迷你对话

A: Peter is a bag lady now.

Peter现在在捡破烂了。

B: That black sheep. It serves him right.

这个败家子，他罪有应得。

A: He was so rich in the past. Maybe he’s regretting his past mistakes now.

过去他多富有，也许现在他后悔过去犯过的错误了。

B: It’s too late.

但是太迟了。

对话精讲

第一、 地道表达

1. 习惯用语

serve sb right

2. 解词释义

Right在这个短语中用作副词，修饰动词serve。从在字面上看，该习语是指“不幸的事情应由某人承担”，由此引申为“活该，最有因得”。

3. 支持范例

e.g.Serve him right; he should arrange his affairs better.

活该，他应该把他的事情处理得好一些。

e.g.You told me it would serve him right if he should take me to Europe for nothing.

你说他带我去欧洲，如果一事无成是他活该。

e.g.It will serve him right if his wife finds out.

如果他的妻子发觉了，那他真是活该！

e.g.Serve him right if he broke his neck.

如果他因干了傻事而送命，那是罪有应得。

第二、词海拾贝

1. a bag lady：露宿街头的妇女

e.g.Isn't it amazing that a bag lady had run into a gold watch in the garbage?

一个拣破烂的人竟然在垃圾堆里拣到一块金手表。

e.g.The bag lady never asked for a handout.

那个无家可归的老妇从不乞求施舍。

2. black sheep：败类，败家子

e.g.It is a small flock that has not a black sheep.

〔谚语〕人多必有败类。

e.g.He was the black sheep of the family after he had got involved in the bank robbery.

在他被牵累进银行抢劫案后,就成了全家的败家子。

3. in the past：过去

e.g.Let things remain as they have been in the past.

让事情照旧吧！

e.g.In the past, British convicts could be sentenced to transportation.

过去，英国的囚犯可能会被判流放。

更多信息请查看生活口语